By Roger Lanse

Flavio Loya Moncada, 53, of Deming, was sentenced on Monday, April 24, in federal court in Las Cruces to 63 months in prison for his methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Additionally, he is required to forfeit $10,600 to the United States.

Moncada was arrested March 11, 2015, after he sold more than a half-pound of meth to an undercover law enforcement agent, according to a news release.

Moncada was subsequently charged, the release said, in a four-count indictment with distributing meth in Dona Ana County on Jan. 10, 2015, Jan. 30, 2015, Feb. 14, 2015, and March 6, 2015. On Feb. 11, 2016, he pled guilty to selling a total on those four occasions of approximately one pound of pure meth to undercover agents.

The case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and a regional drug task force comprised of the Las Cruces Police Department, the Dona Ana SheriffG