Armed Career Criminal from Albuquerque Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm in Santa Ana Pueblo

ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Ernest Purcella, III, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty this morning in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Purcella will be sentenced to 180 months in federal prison if the court determines that he is an armed career criminal.

The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 13th Judicial District Attorney Lemuel Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Waldemar Rodriguez of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Chief William Kurth of the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department.

Purcella was arrested on Oct. 30, 2014, on a criminal complaint alleging that he unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition in Sandoval County, N.M., on April 7, 2014.  At the time, Purcella previously had been convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated battery, burglary, battery on a police officer, trafficking a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance.  Purcella subsequently was indicted on the same charge on Nov. 19, 2014.

According to court filings, on April 7, 2014, officers of the Santa Ana Pueblo Tribal Police Department went to the Santa Ana Star Casino in response to a report of an armed robbery.  They arrested Purcella, who was identified as the alleged robber, on state charges filed by the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.  The state charges were dismissed after federal charges were filed against Purcella.

During today’s proceedings, Purcella pled guilty to the indictment and admitted to unlawful possession of a firearm on April 7, 2014.  Purcella has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.

U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez said that Purcella was prosecuted as part of 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 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 rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst 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, under this initiative.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Santa Ana Pueblo Police Department, with assistance from the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard is prosecuting the case.