Anthony, N.M., Man Sentenced to Forty-Six Months for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

ALBUQUERQUE – Victor Manuel Carreon, 23, of Anthony, N.M., was sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., this morning to 46 months in prison for his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Carreon will be on supervised release for three years after he completes his term of incarceration.

Carreon and his brother Javier Orozco, 30, also of Anthony, were arrested on Sept. 5, 2013, based on a criminal complaint charging them with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.  The two were subsequently indicted on these charges on Dec. 11, 2013.  The indictment alleges that Carreon and Orozco unlawfully possessed firearms and ammunition in Doña Ana County, N.M., on June 19, 2013.  At the time, the brothers were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because they were convicted felons.  Carreon previously had been convicted for possession of a controlled substance and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer, and Orozco had been convicted for shooting at a motor vehicle and aggravated assault.

According to court filings, on June 19, 2013, Carreon and Orozco were arrested on state charges by Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputies who were seeking to arrest Carreon on state warrants.  The deputies detained Orozco in the vicinity of a truck parked outside a residence in Anthony, and arrested Carreon inside the residence.  At the time of his arrest, Carreon was near a trash can that contained a loaded handgun; he admitted ownership of the handgun during a post-arrest interview.  The deputies arrested Orozco after they allegedly found a large amount of cash and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine in Orozco’s pockets.  During a search of the truck, which allegedly was driven primarily by Orozco, officers allegedly found additional currency and a loaded handgun.

On Jan. 7, 2014,Carreon pled guilty to Count 2 of the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and admitted that he unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition on June 19, 2013. Carreon entered his guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.

On Feb. 11, 2014, Orozco entered a guilty plea and admitted possessing a 9 mm handgun on June 19, 2013.  Orozco remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.  At sentencing, Orozco faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.