Ex-leader of drug ring gets life sentence for 2011 killing

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A former leader of a drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to life in prison for a murder conviction for a 2011 killing in the Alamogordo area. The Alamogordo Daily News reports that Joe D. Chavez Sr. was sentenced to life in prison plus 15 years for his part in the 2011 killing of 31-year-old Richard Valdez. Last year, a jury convicted Chavez on charges of felony murder, felony accessory to murder, arson and tampering with evidence. He will serve the sentence at the same time that he serves a 48-year sentence for his 2014 conviction for racketeering, money laundering and trafficking methamphetamine that he is currently serving in a state prison. Valdez's body was found in a burned-out vehicle on Nov. 1, 2011.