Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

ALBUQUERQUE – Colleen Calamia, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to harboring and concealing a federal fugitive, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez and U.S. Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria. 

Calamia was arrested in May 2016, on a criminal complaint charging her with harboring her husband, Mario Montoya, 31, after he absconded from a halfway house in Albuquerque on May 20, 2016.  Court records reflect that Montoya, who was under indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of mail, was released from federal custody on an order requiring him to reside in an Albuquerque-area halfway house and to comply with other conditions.  According to the complaint, Montoya violated the conditions of his release on May 20, 2016, by absconding from the halfway house and violating other release conditions.  Montoya fled from the halfway house in a black sport utility vehicle.

On May 20, 2016, the court issued an emergency warrant authorizing Montoya’s arrest for violating his release conditions.  According to the criminal complaint, on May 24, 2016, the USMS learned that Montoya was frequenting a residence located at 312 Western Skies (the residence) in Albuquerque.  While conducting surveillance near the residence, USMS Deputies and Task Force officers allegedly observed Calamia driving a black Escalade that parked in front of the residence.  They then observed Calamia and Montoya exit the vehicle and move objects from the vehicle and into the residence.

According to the complaint, Calamia then left the residence in the black Escalade and USMS Deputies executed a traffic stop on her vehicle.  When the Deputies questioned Calamia about Montoya’s whereabouts, she told them that Montoya was alone in the residence. 

According to the complaint, when a USMS arrest team attempted to serve the arrest warrant on Montoya, he fired upon the deputies, initiating an exchange of gunfire.  After the arrest team was able to retreat to a safe location, a second team later entered the residence.  The second team found Montoya in a closet; he had been struck in the exchange of gunfire and was dead.

Calamia was subsequently indicted on June 14, 2016, and charged with aiding and abetting an escape of a convicted felon on May 20, 2016, and concealing a person from arrest on May 24, 2016.  According to the indictment, both crimes took place in Bernalillo County, N.M.

During today’s proceedings, Calamia pled guilty to aiding and abetting an escape and admitted that on May 20, 2016, she aided and abetted the escape of Montoya from an Albuquerque-area halfway house.

At sentencing, Calamia faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

The USMS investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard is prosecuting it.  Mr. Wishard was also prosecuting the case against Montoya, which was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

# # #