ALBUQUERQUE — A former University of New Mexico football player was convicted Friday in a federal drug trafficking case tied to the Cibola County Correctional Center, marking his second federal conviction in less than a year.
After a five-day trial and just over three hours of jury deliberation, Rayshawn Boyce, 29, was found guilty of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine while in custody at the Milan-based private prison. The conviction adds to Boyce’s legal troubles, following his April 2024 conviction for the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee.
According to federal prosecutors, the drug trafficking plot unfolded while Boyce was incarcerated at CCCC and awaiting trial for the robbery case. On May 17, 2022, correctional staff discovered approximately one pound of methamphetamine in a shower area of the facility, triggering a deeper investigation.
Surveillance footage from the night before revealed that Gabriella Torres, a CCCC correctional officer, had smuggled the drugs into the facility beneath her hoodie and dropped the package in a blind spot — an area not covered by the jail’s security cameras. Shortly after, Boyce retrieved the bundle, wrapped it in a blanket, and returned to his cell. When he later learned of a pending search, he moved the drugs and submerged the package in water near the showers, where staff discovered it the next morning.
Investigators uncovered a romantic relationship between Boyce and Torres. Testimony and evidence presented during the trial showed that Boyce manipulated Torres into smuggling drugs — including methamphetamine and marijuana — into the facility on multiple occasions. Financial records and witness statements confirmed that Boyce arranged for payments to be sent through a CashApp account Torres created for the scheme.
Torres has since pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. She remains free under conditions of release while awaiting sentencing, where she could face 10 years to life in prison and three years of supervised release.
Boyce remains in custody. He also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug trafficking charges.
In the earlier postal robbery case, Boyce was convicted of robbing a mail carrier, stealing a USPS arrow key, and unlawfully possessing a firearm. Sentencing in both cases is pending.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from Cibola County Correctional Center staff and CoreCivic, which manages the Milan facility. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Joseph M. Spindle.
The case represents the latest in a string of federal efforts to dismantle criminal operations at or connected to the Cibola County Correctional Center — a facility that has faced growing scrutiny in recent months over contraband, corruption, and gang-related activity within its walls.
The Cibola Citizen has reached out to CoreCivic for further comment.