Hagatña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant Nathan Earl McCord Borja, age 38, from Guam, was sentenced in the United States District Court of Guam to 136 months imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Fifty or More Grams of Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1), and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§922(g)(1). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. In addition, defendants convicted of a federal drug offense may no longer qualify for certain federal benefits.
In February 2021, Guam Police Department officers received information that the Nathan Earl McCord Borja was selling methamphetamine in Guam. Law enforcement surveilled and arrested Borja as he sold 29.10 grams of methamphetamine to an individual in Tumon. A search of Borja’s vehicle revealed a Rossi revolver, 16 rounds of ammunition, $7,128 in cash, 8.23 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket, and an additional 12.99 grams of methamphetamine hidden in his vehicle. A search of Borja’s phone revealed his participation in a drug distribution conspiracy since 2020. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives noted that the serial numbers on the firearm were obliterated. In addition, Borja had a prior felony conviction that prohibited him from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
“Drugs and firearms are a dangerous combination for community safety,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Unfortunately, we often see this in organized criminal activity. These cases are a high priority for our office. Those engaging in this type of crime should expect federal prosecution and stiff sentences.”
“By trafficking drugs and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon, Mr. Borja clearly did not learn from his previous actions,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “Hopefully with this sentence he will be able to reflect on the harm he has brought to the people of Guam.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This was a joint investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Guam Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Rosetta L. San Nicolas, Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Guam.