Anthony Barela, Unlawful Possession of Firearm, New Mexico 2013

Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

Anthony Barela, 56, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, a federal crime that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Barela will be sentenced to 15 years in federal prison due to his status as an armed career criminal. He has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Barela was arrested on November 9, 2013, on a criminal complaint alleging that he unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. According to the complaint, officers of the Albuquerque Police Department apprehended Barela at a home in northwest Albuquerque when they responded to a call reporting a residential burglary. When the officers arrived at the residence and encountered Barela, he indicated that he had a pistol in his pocket which he admitted taking from the residence.

At the time of his arrest, Barela was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of armed bank robbery in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico and armed robbery with a deadly weapon in the 2nd Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Albuquerque Police Department with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.

Barela’s guilty plea is 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.

Barela’s status as an armed career criminal means that he has been convicted of multiple violent or serious crimes, including armed robbery, which makes him a high-risk offender. His 15-year sentence reflects his status as a repeat offender and the seriousness of the crime for which he has pleaded guilty.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/armed-career-criminal-albuquerque-pleads-guilty-unlawful-possession-firearm