Albuquerque career criminal sentenced to life imprisonment for heroin distribution resulting in death of Cameron Weiss
La Cueva High School student died from overdose in 2011 after becoming addicted to opioids following treatment for sports-related injuries
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera sentenced Raymond Moya, 36, of Albuquerque, to life imprisonment in federal court today for his conviction on two heroin trafficking offenses, including a distribution of heroin on Aug. 12, 2011, that resulted in the death of Cameron Weiss, an 18-year-old La Cueva High School student, on Aug. 13, 2011. A federal jury convicted Moya on May 13, 2019, following a six-day trial.
During this morning’s sentencing hearing, Judge Herrera sentenced Moya to 30 years of imprisonment on the heroin distribution not resulting in death charge, with the sentence to run consecutive to a 72-month sentence previously imposed in another federal drug trafficking case in 2014. The Judge also sentenced Moya to life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in the death charge.
“The life sentence imposed in this case is a just result for a career criminal who committed the most serious kind of drug offense, distributing heroin resulting in the death of a victim,” said U.S. Attorney John C. Anderson. “While no punishment can return Cameron Weiss to his family and friends, we hope this sentence provides his loved ones with some measure of healing.”
“This case is a sad reminder that drugs kill, and Raymond Moya’s sentencing sends a strong message that dealers will be held responsible for the death and despair that they cause,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Kyle W. Williamson. “DEA remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer by bringing to justice those who deal drugs with a disregard for human life.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to have been a part of this investigation, particularly in support of the victims,” said U.S. Marshal Sonya K. Chavez. “We are committed to continuing to work diligently for safer communities and justice in our state.”
“We appreciate the persistence of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure justice for the family of Cameron Weiss,” said APD Chief Mike Geier. “Addiction is at the heart of so many problems in our community. We have to target the predators who have no regard for the lives they are ruining.”
During Moya’s trial, numerous witnesses testified about final week of the life of Cameron Weiss, who died of a heroin overdose on the morning of Aug. 13, 2011. The jury learned that Mr. Weiss had been addicted to heroin for two years, after getting hooked on opiate painkillers to treat serious sports injuries sustained as a student athlete at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque.
Mr. Weiss had spent time in rehab, but had relapsed and ended up in jail in Aug. 2011. While in jail, Mr. Weiss learned that Moya was a source of heroin supply who could be contacted through go-betweens. After he was released from jail on Aug. 7, 2011, Mr. Weiss contacted a go-between, who purchased heroin from Moya and delivered it to Mr. Weiss. The following day, Mr. Weiss joined his family in California where they were vacationing; the family returned to Albuquerque on Aug. 11, 2011. The next day, Aug. 12, 2011, Mr. Weiss met with another go-between, who purchased more heroin from Moya, including heroin which Mr. Weiss ingested over the course of the evening and into the night. At the end of the night, a friend dropped Mr. Weiss off at home. Mr. Weiss went into his bedroom and went to sleep; he never woke up. A pathologist determined that Mr. Weiss died as the result of a heroin overdose.
Moya faced a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on the heroin distribution resulting in death charge based on his status as a career criminal. Moya’s prior criminal history included prior felony drug convictions for possession of a controlled substance, trafficking a controlled substance and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
The Albuquerque office of the DEA investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean J. Sullivan, Paul Mysliwiec and Nicholas Jon Ganjei prosecuted the case as part of the Department of Justice’s commitment in partnership with other law enforcement to combat the illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin and prescription opioids and to establish new programs to provide services to victims of the opioid crisis.
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