Rio Rancho Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Richard A. Archuleta, 38, of Rio Rancho, N.M., pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.  Under the terms of the plea agreement, the United States will recommend that Archuleta be sentenced to not more than eight years in federal prison.

Archuleta was arrested in Aug. 2014, based on an indictment filed on Sept. 25, 2013, charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition on June 3, 2013, in Bernalillo County, N.M.  The indictment subsequently was superseded on Oct. 7, 2014, to include an additional charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on Aug. 7, 2014, in Bernalillo County.  According to court filings, Archuleta was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of aggravated battery, attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, and failure to register as a sex offender.

During today’s proceedings, Archuleta pled guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition on June 3, 2013.  In entering the guilty plea, Archuleta admitted possessing a firearm and ammunition in the console of the vehicle he was driving when he was stopped by officers on June 3, 2013.  He acknowledged that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing either the firearm or the ammunition.

Archuleta has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained 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 Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting this case.