Casper Couple Charged With Meth, Fentanyl Conspiracy, Possession
A man and his girlfriend who recently moved to Casper were each charged with possessing nearly a pound of methamphetamine and about 3,400 fentanyl pills crimes, according to Natrona County Circuit Court records.
Matthew Lucas Armijo and Christina Carmona heard four identical counts each during their initial hearing in Circuit Court last week.
Armijo and Carmona are each charged with:
- One count of possession of a controlled substance -- methamphetamine -- with intent to deliver.
- One count of possession of a controlled substance -- fentanyl -- with intent to deliver.
- One count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance -- methamphetamine.
- One count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance -- fentanyl.
If convicted, each count is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $25,000 fine.
Their bond was set at $50,000 cash or surety.
Before agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations of the Central Enforcement Team in July 2022 began investigating Armijo (born in 1983) and Carmona (born in 1984), they had already been identified as dealers in Carbon County.
Armijo was arrested and charged there in October 2022.
In September, Carmona was interviewed and told agents with the South West Enforcement Team that she and Armijo would travel to Greeley, Colorado, to buy fentanyl pills and methamphetamine.
In the current investigation, Central Enforcement Team agents on March 27 used a confidential source to attempt to buy fentanyl pills and methamphetamine from Armijo at his apartment on Jefferson Street.
However, the confidential source said Armijo refused to sell, they added they saw Carmona weighing methamphetamine.
On April 6, another confidential source told agents that they had recently bought fentanyl from Carmona through a known co-conspirator.
From April 15-18, authorities surveilled Armijo and Carmona traveling in her Dodge Journey from Casper to Thermopolis and Riverton.
On April 18, an agent saw them meet with a man in Riverton.
Later that day, Fremont County Sheriff's Office deputies interviewed that man and his wife, and subsequently searched their house. The man claimed to have seen Armijo sell approximately 170 fentanyl pills for $1,700, and said Armijo and Carmona planned to travel to Salt Lake City or Denver to buy more controlled substances.
On April 24, a law enforcement officer obtained warrants to search Carmona's vehicle, her's and Armijo's apartment and their persons.
The next day, authorities stopped her vehicle on Interstate 25 north of Casper, Armijo was in the front seat, and two other people were in the back seat.
Law enforcement officers found a misdemeanor amount of fentanyl pills on her, and arrested her and took her to jail.
A subsequent search of the Dodge yielded the discovery of approximately 343 grams -- 12.25 ounces -- or approximately 3,400 fentanyl pills, a firearm and 436 grams or approximately 0.96 pounds of methamphetamine.
Authorities interviewed Armijo, who said he had moved to Casper about three months earlier, that he was out on bond from Carbon County after the 2022 investigation, that he sold 1 gram to 2 grams of methamphetamine a day in Casper, that he denied obtaining and selling controlled substances recently, and that whatever was found in Carmona's vehicle was hers, saying, "'She'll own up to all that s--t.'"
On April 27, the Carbon County prosecutor filed a motion with the Second Judicial District to revoke Armijo's $40,000 bond because of his arrest in Natrona County on April 25.