Colby Edward Steele, 32, Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Colby Edward Steele, 32, of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws by unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Steele was arrested on February 3, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on February 2, 2017. The complaint stated that Steele was arrested in the desert near Alamogordo while attempting to flee from law enforcement officers who were executing a warrant for Steele’s arrest on a parole violation out of Arizona.
According to the complaint, officers located a firearm with a chambered round in Steele’s pants pocket and multiple rounds of ammunition in the sand near Steele at the time of his arrest. Steele was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted in 2003 of possession of a controlled substance in Otero County, New Mexico, and in 2008 for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Dona Ana County, New Mexico.
On May 2, 2017, Steele pled guilty to a felony information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In entering the guilty plea, Steele admitted that on February 2, 2017, he possessed a handgun and ammunition when he was arrested by law enforcement. Steele acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Steele will serve his prison sentence and will be under supervision for three years after his release. This sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of violating federal firearms laws and the importance of adhering to all applicable laws and regulations.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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