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Las Cruces man sentenced to 23 years in prison for fraud

LAS CRUCES –  Doña Ana County District Attorney Mark D’Antonio on Monday announced that Gary D. Sugamosto, 69, of Las Cruces, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 counts of fraud. 

Assistant District Attorney Timothy Nuccio prosecuted the case on behalf of the State.

Sugamosto pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud in three separate cases stemming from 2015 and 2016. The charges range from Fraud (Over $20,000), a second-degree felony, to Fraud by Worthless Check, a fourth-degree felony.

The fraud charges arose from Sugamosto’s long-running scheme involving numerous victims in which he would typically ask for money up front to purchase Jeeps. Sugamosto claimed to be able to purchase the vehicles inexpensively and sell them at a large profit. He told at least one victim that the Jeeps were being sold through a governmental contract with the “national game warden’s office in Minnesota,” according to police reports.

Prosecutors asked that Sugamosto be sentenced to 25 years in prison. 

“We’re not trying to mince words here,” Nuccio told the court. “Our intention in asking for this sentence is to ensure that he spends the rest of his life in prison so that he can’t victimize anyone else.”

District Judge Douglas R. Driggers imposed a total sentence of 50 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections, but suspended 27 years. Driggers also ordered Sugamosto to pay $101,909 to the victims he defrauded. Upon release, Sugamosto must also successfully complete five years of supervised probation.

“This defendant’s reign of defrauding the hard-working people of Doña Ana County has, thankfully, been put to an end,” D’Antonio said. “White-collar crimes like fraud and embezzlement may not be violent in nature, but they are usually carefully-planned violations of the law. By holding defendants responsible and raising awareness, we’re forcing potential white-collar criminals to think twice about defrauding honest New Mexicans.”

Information from Third Judicial District Attorney's office

LAS CRUCES –  Doña Ana County District Attorney Mark D’Antonio on Monday announced that Gary D. Sugamosto, 69, of Las Cruces, was sentenced Friday to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to 18 counts of fraud. 

Assistant District Attorney Timothy Nuccio prosecuted the case on behalf of the State.

Sugamosto pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud in three separate cases stemming from 2015 and 2016. The charges range from Fraud (Over $20,000), a second-degree felony, to Fraud by Worthless Check, a fourth-degree felony.

The fraud charges arose from Sugamosto’s long-running scheme involving numerous victims in which he would typically ask for money up front to purchase Jeeps. Sugamosto claimed to be able to purchase the vehicles inexpensively and sell them at a large profit. He told at least one victim that the Jeeps were being sold through a governmental contract with the “national game warden’s office in Minnesota,” according to police reports.

Prosecutors asked that Sugamosto be sentenced to 25 years in prison. 

“We’re not trying to mince words here,” Nuccio told the court. “Our intention in asking for this sentence is to ensure that he spends the rest of his life in prison so that he can’t victimize anyone else.”

District Judge Douglas R. Driggers imposed a total sentence of 50 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections, but suspended 27 years. Driggers also ordered Sugamosto to pay $101,909 to the victims he defrauded. Upon release, Sugamosto must also successfully complete five years of supervised probation.

“This defendant’s reign of defrauding the hard-working people of Doña Ana County has, thankfully, been put to an end,” D’Antonio said. “White-collar crimes like fraud and embezzlement may not be violent in nature, but they are usually carefully-planned violations of the law. By holding defendants responsible and raising awareness, we’re forcing potential white-collar criminals to think twice about defrauding honest New Mexicans.”