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Three men reportedly caught with fentanyl at hotel

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Three men were caught with fentanyl at America’s Best Inn.

On Sept. 29, around 4:30 am, an employee from America’s Best Value Inn, 2003 U.S. Hwy. 66, called Metro Dispatch and said three men were hanging out in a room that was supposed to be vacant. Officers Warren Bowannie and Gilbert Gonzales arrived at the hotel and met three individuals in Room 115: Mark Bingaman, Rudy Cruz, and a man the police could only identify as “John Doe.”

The officers found knives, tools, hammers, and steroids that were in vials spread out on the bed. Cruz, 56, told the officers that the items had been in the room when they got there, and that none of the things belonged to any of them. He said that an employee had given them a key to the room when they arrived.

Cruz said the suspects arrived at the hotel around 10 pm the previous night. He said they had been dropped off at the McDonald’s next door. He also mentioned that they all arrived from Albuquerque.

The officers led the three men out of the room. The man identified as “John Doe” kept giving the officers different names and ages, so that’s why he was identified as John Doe in the report. He was arrested for concealing his identity.

In the surveillance video provided by the hotel John Doe can be seen exchanging an unknown item with an employee that was working the front desk. The employee then puts the item in her pants pocket.

When Bowannie spoke to Bingaman, 31, he claimed that the man identified as John Doe gave him the fentanyl. He said he only knew the man as “Soul.” Bingaman did admit to smoking fentanyl in the room.

Gonzales found 19 pills of fentanyl in the room, along with three vials of Tren and Sustanon.

Along with concealing his identity,  John Doe was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Officers found two more fentanyl pills in Bingaman’s pockets. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Cruz was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Bingaman’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 12. Cruz’s is scheduled for Oct. 26.

Staff Reports