Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm While Under a Domestic Violence Restraining Order

ALBUQUERQUE – Daniel Arushanov, 24, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order.

Arushanov was arrested in Jan. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition on Nov. 9, 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M. According to the complaint, on that day, University of New Mexico (UNM) police officers arrested Arushanov for carrying a firearm and ammunition while on the UNM campus. Court documents indicate that a routine check of criminal and judicial databases revealed that in Nov. 2016, Arushanov was the subject of an order of protection issued by the Superior Court of California in Sacrament County, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2015, to protect Arushanov’s former wife and her immediate family members.

Arushanov was indicted on Feb. 7, 2017, and charged with two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition while under a domestic violence restraining order. According to the indictment, the restraining order explicitly prohibited Arushanov from possessing firearms or ammunition.

During today’s proceedings, Arushanov pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm while under a domestic violence restraining order. In entering the guilty plea, Arushanov admitted that on Nov. 9, 2016, he possessed a firearm and ammunition while he was subject to a court order that restrained Arushanov from harassing, stalking or threatening an intimate partner.

At sentencing, Arushanov faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Arushanov remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the UNM Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe is prosecuting the case.