Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of Firearm and Robberies of Albuquerque-Area Convenience Stores

ALBUQUERQUE – Oscar Anchondo, 39, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the Hobbs Act by robbing two Albuquerque-area convenience stores at gunpoint. 

Anchondo’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Chief Tom Romero of the Bernalillo Police Department, Chief Gorden Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), and Chief Michael Geier of the Rio Rancho Police Department.

Anchondo was arrested in Oct. 2015, on a criminal complaint alleging that Anchondo unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition on Oct. 6, 2015, in Sandoval County, N.M.  According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 6, 2015, a resident of the Town of Bernalillo called the Bernalillo Police Department to report a stolen vehicle.  The victim reported that Anchondo stole the vehicle after threatening to kill her, and that Anchondo was armed when he made the threat.  Officers responded to the call and located the vehicle parked in the driveway of another residence in Bernalillo.  In response to an inquiry from the officers, an occupant of the residence said that Anchondo was in the residence. 

Anchondo was subsequently indicted on the same charge on Dec. 17, 2015.  According to court records, on Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of the following felony offenses in state court:  armed robbery with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

During today’s proceedings, Anchondo entered a guilty plea to the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and to a felony information charging him with two counts of violating the Hobbs Act.  In entering the guilty plea, Anchondo admitted the following criminal conduct:

• On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the Giant convenience store located at 6100 San Mateo Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.

• On Sept. 29, 2015, Anchondo entered the 7-Eleven convenience store located at 1801 San Pedro Dr. NE in Albuquerque, threatened the store employees with a firearm, demanded money, and robbed the employee of cash.

• On Oct. 6, 2015, Anchondo was in possession of a firearm during a standoff with police who were attempting to arrest him for the offense charged in the criminal complaint, and that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and the Bernalillo Police Department with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Rio Rancho Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution.  Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.  Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Bernalillo County, N.M., under this initiative.