Previously Convicted Felon from Gallup Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition

ALBUQUERQUE – Ricardo A. Teran, 39, of Gallup, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Santa Fe, N.M., to 34 months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  Teran will be on supervised release for three years.

Teran pled guilty to this offense on Aug. 30, 2017.  According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) executed a search warrant at Teran’s home on Feb. 5, 2016.  Law enforcement agents seized firearms, ammunition, bullet-resistant vests, drugs, and drug paraphernalia from the residence.  This included a loaded pistol, revolver, shot gun, methamphetamine pipe, and syringes in a two-year-old child’s bedroom. 

Teran was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition, or body armor because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, receiving a stolen firearm, and aggravated assault against a household member. 

This case was investigated by HSI and the MCSO with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.