Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery Spree

ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, Oscar Marquez, 23, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on Hobbs Act robbery and firearms charges arising out of a crime spree that involved robberies of four Albuquerque-area businesses at gunpoint during a two-week period.  Marquez’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales, 2nd Judicial District Attorney Kari E. Brandenburg, Carol K.O. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, and Chief Ray Schultz of the Albuquerque Police Department.

Marquez was charged in an eight-count indictment with four counts of violating the Hobbs Act by interfering with a business involved in interstate commerce by robbery, and four counts of using a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.  The indictment, which was filed in Oct. 2012, also charged co-defendant, Rebecca Aguilar, 25, of Albuquerque, with aiding and abetting one of the robberies.

The indictment charged Marquez with robbing the following four Albuquerque-area businesses:  the Captain D’s Restaurant on May 28, 2012 (Count 1); a Cricket Wireless Store on May 29, 2012 (Count 3); a King Wireless Store on June 7, 2012 (Count 5); and another Cricket Wireless Store on June 9, 2012 (Count 7).  Counts 2, 4, 6 and 8 charged Marquez with using a firearm during each of the four robberies.  It also charged Aguilar with aiding and abetting the May 9, 2012 robbery.

On Jan. 18, 2013, Marquez entered guilty pleas to Counts 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the indictment, and admitted robbing store clerks at three businesses at gunpoint between May 29 and June 9, 2012.  Marquez also pled guilty to an information charging him with the armed robbery of a store clerk at an Albuquerque-area Game Stop on June 10, 2012. 

During today’s sentencing hearing, Marquez also was ordered to pay restitution to the businesses that were the victims of his criminal conduct.  As required by the terms of his plea agreement, Counts 1, 2, 4 and 8 of the indictment against Marquez were dismissed after his sentence was imposed.
          
Aguilar, who was arrested on Oct. 15, 2012, entered a guilty plea on to Count 7 of the indictment, the sole charge against her on Feb. 6, 2013.  Aguilar is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2013.  Under the terms of her plea agreement, she will be sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

This case was brought as part of a law enforcement initiative launched in July 2012, by the FBI’s Violent Crimes and Major Offender Squad and the Albuquerque Police Department’s Armed Robbery Unit that targets suspects implicated in commercial armed robberies.  The new initiative is part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution.  Under this anti-violence 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 for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the District Attorney’s Office for the 2nd Judicial District of the State of New Mexico, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford.