Earlier today a federal jury in Las Cruces, New Mexico convicted Paul Reyes Sedillo, 38, of Roswell, New Mexico of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sedillo faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment.

The evidence at trial established that, on October 23, 2009, the Roswell Police Department executed a search warrant at Sedillo’s residence in Roswell. During the search, officers found a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun in the living room closet. According to the trial testimony, a forensic expert at the New Mexico Department of Public Safety examined the firearm and found Sedillo’s DNA on the shotgun. Sedillo previously had been convicted of felony aggravated assault in state district court in Chaves County.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales stated:

My office is committed to enforcing the federal gun laws. If prohibited individuals like the defendant in this case possess firearms, they will be subject tofederal prosecution. I commend the efforts of local and federal law enforcement and those attorneys in my office who were integral to the successful prosecution of this case.

Sedillo was arrested on March 29, 2010, and has been in federal custody since his arrest. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roswell Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Wishard and Ron Jennings.

(Download Indictment )

 

 

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