Two Indian-origin men, Kamal Bhula and Pragneshkumar “Pete” Patel, have pleaded guilty to drug and firearms charges related to a drug trafficking operation based in a motel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
They were among three individuals charged with maintaining a drug-involved premise at the motel. The third accused, Jonathan Craft, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and illegal possession of a firearm or ammunition.
According to court records, Patel owned the Best Choice Inn where the drug trafficking took place, and Bhula later leased the property and became the on-site manager. Craft lived and worked at the motel and facilitated drug sales and usage, in addition to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
All three defendants will be sentenced at a later date and could face up to 20 years in prison. The case came to light after a federal grand jury investigation and a subsequent raid by law enforcement officers.
