Felon Brings Gun to the Party: Ohkay Owingeh Man Pleads Guilty
In a shocking turn of events, Ronald J. Martinez, a 44-year-old resident of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges stem from a 2017 incident in which Martinez assaulted an officer of the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department with a large wooden stick.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on April 20, 2017, when Officer responded to a call reporting that Martinez was threatening to shoot himself. Martinez allegedly assaulted the officer with a large wooden stick, and a shotgun was seized from the residence after he was subdued and taken into custody.
Martinez was indicted on May 24, 2017, and was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time, Martinez was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for shooting at a dwelling, unlawful use of a firearm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Martinez pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Martinez admitted that on April 20, 2017, he unlawfully possessed a loaded firearm on Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Martinez acknowledged that he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon.
At sentencing, Martinez faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Martinez remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled. This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s, Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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