Albuquerque Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

ALBUQUERQUE – Jesse Chavez, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Chavez was charged by criminal complaint on May 27, 2016, with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on May 4, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the criminal complaint, officers of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office executed an arrest warrant on Chavez on May 4, 2016. During a search incident to arrest, the officers seized a loaded firearm from Chavez.

Chavez subsequently was indicted on June 14, 2016, and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time, Chavez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of first-degree murder in 2000. On Jan. 13, 2017, Chavez pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe prosecuted the case.