Rio Rancho Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Leondro Urioste, 31, of Rio Rancho, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to five years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime conviction.

Urioste was arrested on Dec. 8, 2014, and charged in a criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm on Oct. 16, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M.  According to the complaint, deputies of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office recovered approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and multiple firearms and rounds of ammunition from Urioste’s vehicle following a routine traffic stop.  According to court documents, Urioste was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of attempted forgery.

Urioste was subsequently indicted on Dec. 16, 2014, and charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The indictment alleges that the crimes took place on Oct. 16, 2014, in Bernalillo County.

On March 2, 2015, Urioste pled guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  In entering the guilty plea, Urioste admitted that on Oct. 16, 2014, he was stopped by deputies of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a handgun.  Urioste further admitted that the handgun was hidden in his dashboard, and that he possessed the firearm as a tool and in relation to his illegal drug trafficking.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rumaldo R. Armijo prosecuted the case.