Farmington man pleads guilty to federal drug, firearm charges

• Marcus McGee, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute meth.
• McGee stated he knew about the firearms and possessed them for his protection while distributing drugs.
• McGee could face a three-year prison sentence on the drug conviction and a five-year prison sentence on the firearm conviction.

FARMINGTON — A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to firearm and methamphetamine possession charges in federal court with a possible eight-year prison sentence.

Marcus McGee, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute meth on Sept. 11 in Albuquerque federal court, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

The plea agreement states that law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on McGee's residence in San Juan County on May 23, 2017, and found 65 grams of a substance which tested positive for the presence of meth. McGee knew he had meth and intended to distribute some of the drugs.

A .22 caliber rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun were found in his bedroom.

McGee stated he knew about the firearms and possessed them for his protection while distributing drugs.

Gerald Soliz, McGee's co-defendant, pleaded guilty on April 6, 2018, to two counts of distributing meth and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to The Daily Times archives.

Soliz admitted in a plea agreement to distributing a total of about 340 grams of meth and helping to arrange and participated in the sale of a machine gun.

He is serving an 8-year-old and four-month prison sentence and was sentenced on May 7 in Santa Fe federal court.

McGee could face a three-year prison sentence on the drug conviction and a five-year prison sentence on the firearm conviction, according to the plea agreement.

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

The FBI investigated McGee's case along with the Region II Narcotics Task Force and the Farmington Police Department.

McGee pleaded no contest to a second-degree felony count of attempted murder on Nov. 3, 2017, in the shooting of Shah Malik on Jan. 1, 2016, in Farmington.

The defendant was convicted of shooting Malik five times in the 1200 block of North Wall Avenue.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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