Former UNM Football Player Convicted for Running Meth Operation from Jail.

A federal jury has convicted Rayshawn Boyce, a former University of New Mexico football player, of coordinating a meth trafficking ring from inside a state correctional facility.

Rayshawn Boyce, 29, was already in custody at Cibola County Correctional Center when he took his criminal activities to another level. While awaiting trial for a 2022 armed robbery involving a U.S. Postal Service employee, he was caught running a methamphetamine smuggling operation with help from someone on the inside.

According to court documents and trial testimony, Boyce wasn’t working alone. Correctional Officer Gabriella Torres, who was in a romantic relationship with Boyce at the time, was caught on surveillance footage sneaking meth into the jail under her hoodie.

On the night of May 16, 2022, she left the bundle in a part of the facility that cameras didn’t cover. Shortly after, Boyce retrieved the package, wrapped it in a blanket, and returned to his cell.

The next morning, after learning the jail would be searched, Boyce moved the drugs again. He soaked the bundle in water and stashed it near the showers, where it was eventually found by jail staff.

Further investigation revealed this wasn’t an isolated incident. Torres had previously smuggled marijuana into the facility on two occasions, again under Boyce’s direction. Payments from fellow inmates were sent through a CashApp account that Torres had set up at Boyce’s request.

The entire operation was carefully orchestrated, with Boyce coordinating deliveries and transactions from inside his cell.

Torres eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and is currently out on supervised release while awaiting sentencing. She faces a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

Boyce, now convicted on drug trafficking charges, also faces sentencing for his earlier conviction in a separate federal case. In April 2024, a jury found him guilty of robbing a postal carrier, stealing a USPS master arrow key, and illegally possessing a firearm. Those charges could add another decade to his prison time.

He remains in federal custody and now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years—and up to life—without the possibility of parole. Sentencing dates for both cases have yet to be scheduled.

Federal Sentencing and Prison Drug Trafficking

Methamphetamine continues to be one of the most trafficked and abused drugs in the United States. According to the DEA, meth is commonly smuggled into correctional facilities using corrupt staff, mail systems, or through body concealment, making prison drug operations a growing concern nationwide.

Under Title 21 of the U.S. Code, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison, even for first-time offenders. Sentences can increase significantly if the crime involves weapons, a criminal enterprise, or takes place in a secure facility.

Inmate-led drug operations not only extend criminal networks into prison walls but also endanger staff and other inmates. The Bureau of Prisons and federal investigators frequently work together to uncover these schemes, especially when federal employees, such as USPS workers or correctional officers, are involved.

This case also highlights how romantic relationships between inmates and staff can create opportunities for corruption and manipulation, which the Department of Justice has repeatedly cited as a vulnerability in prison security.

With no parole in the federal system, individuals convicted under these laws often serve the majority, if not all, of their sentence.

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