Man who posed as DEA agent during home invasion found guilty
An Otero County jury found the accused of posing as a DEA agent to force his way into a home guilty of nine felony charges.
On April 28, 2015, Jason Krcelic was involved in a home invasion and armed robbery in Chaparral.
Investigators said Krcelic and his fellow accomplices, Clayton Moses and Handel Hughes, were armed with an AR-15 rifle and a .45 caliber handgun. The three suspects posed as DEA agents and forced their way into a home yelling “DEA, get on the ground, get on the ground!”
Investigators say once inside, Krcelic and the two men allegedly tied up a family, which included three children and their neighbor, with duct tape. The three then proceeded to rob them, taking over $3,000 in cash and other items.
Otero County deputies arrived on the scene before the three could make a clean getaway, and a foot persuit ensued. Deputies were not able to make an arrest at the time, but investigators say the suspects left their car behind with evidence.
While executing a search warrant on the suspects’ car, investigators found a rifle case, a magazine to a gun, ammunition for the AR-15 and .45 handgun, and a receipt with one of the men’s name on it.
Deputies also retrieved Krcelic and the two suspects’ cell phones. Computer Forensic Investigator, Brandi Wright of the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, recovered a series of incriminating text messages between the three men which revealed their plan to use the DEA as a front for the home invasion.
Krcelic faces up to 59 and a half years in prison, and is currently held without bond pending a sentencing hearing expected to be held early next year.
The State will be seeking habitual offender sentencing enhancements based on Krcelic’s prior felony convictions.
Moses and Hughes were previously convicted and sentenced for their roles in the crime. Moses is serving 18 years in prison while Hughes is serving a 41-year prison sentence.
