John Charles Armstrong charged with drug trafficking in Truth or Consequences
John Charles Armstrong faces two counts of felony drug trafficking near Truth or Consequences, court records show. He is accused of trading fentanyl pills for state food assistance benefits.
Sierra County Sheriff Joshua Baker said the probe started with a fatal overdose. Investigators looked into the accidental fentanyl overdose death of a 26-year-old father. Medical investigators ruled the death happened this summer.
Investigators could not link Armstrong to anyone’s death. Deputies searched his home near Truth or Consequences and found meth, fentanyl, and text messages. Armstrong told deputies he sold pills to help people with withdrawals.
“I just sell ’em to help people that are sick too. I don’t buy them to sell ’em. I don’t make money off of ’em,” he added.
Armstrong said he moved there to care for his sick mother. He told deputies he started using drugs after her death. Armstrong is 63 years old.
Text messages showed 36-year-old Robert Iverson offered food assistance cards for fentanyl. Iverson offered $700 in food benefits for 50 pills. Baker said dealers charge double or triple the cash street rate for cards.
Deputies tracked transactions to a Dollar General and a Walmart in Truth or Consequences. Store surveillance video showed Armstrong buying groceries with the card. Investigators noted Iverson has two children.
Armstrong was charged with two counts of felony drug trafficking. Iverson was booked for unlawful dealing in federal food coupons, a misdemeanor. Iverson was convicted last month, fined $1,000, and sentenced to probation.
Niki Kozlowski is the Income Support Director for New Mexico’s Health Care Authority. She said customer fraud accounts for less than 1% of users, according to federal data. The state program serves about 460,000 people.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides food funds to low-income families through electronic benefit transfer cards. State agencies manage distribution under federal rules while local police enforce criminal statutes.
Armstrong is out of jail while awaiting trial. Baker said his office seeks capital punishment if dealers are tied directly to fatal overdoses.
