Felon from Laguna Pueblo Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm

ALBUQUERQUE – Michael Shane Riley, 45, an enrolled member and resident of Laguna Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm.  Under the terms of his plea agreement, Riley will be sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Riley was arrested on Jan. 23, 2017, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm on May 30, 2016, in Cibola County, N.M.  According to the indictment, Riley was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

During today’s change of plea hearing, Riley pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on May 30, 2016, he possessed a firearm while on the Pueblo of Laguna in Cibola County.  Riley acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he previously had been convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in 2002.

Riley has been in custody since his arrest and remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Laguna Pueblo Tribal Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is prosecuting the case.