Colfax County Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Tommy Acevedo, 37, of Raton, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 55 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, 8th Judicial District Attorney Donald A. Gallegos, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief John Garcia of the Raton Police Department.

Acevedo was arrested on Dec. 17, 2013, on an indictment charging him with violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition and unlawfully possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun in Colfax County, N.M., on June 19, 2013.  At the time, Acevedo was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of two counts of forgery in the 8th Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico and of robbery in the 5th Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico.

On Aug. 13, 2014, pled guilty to Count 1 of the indictment and admitted possessing a 20 gauge sawed-off shotgun with obliterated serial number and eight rounds of ammunition on June 29, 2013, in Raton.  Acevedo also admitted that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Raton Police Department, with assistance from the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis E. Valencia prosecuted the case.

This case 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.