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Felony Firearms Charges Convicted in Lovington
A federal jury sitting in Las Cruces, N.M. has returned a guilty verdict against Cody Allen Little, 34, of Lovington, N.M., on two counts of violating federal firearms laws.
Little was arrested in June 2012 on a criminal complaint and subsequently charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of stolen firearms in a superseding indictment.
The superseding indictment alleged that Little unlawfully possessed firearms and ammunition, including a stolen assault rifle and a stolen shotgun, on Nov. 1, 2011, in Lea County, N.M. At the time, Little was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to previous felony convictions.
According to the evidence at trial, a gun shop in Lovington was burglarized on the night of Oct. 24, 2011, and seven weapons, including several assault rifles, were stolen. Within days, law enforcement authorities received tips that led officers to focus on Little as a potential suspect in the burglary.
On Nov. 1, 2011, officers went to the residential property on which the well-house was located to follow up on the tips. While speaking with an individual at the residence, the officers saw Little walk out of the well-house and away from the area where the officers were standing, and disappear from sight. When an officer walked to the area where Little was last seen, he observed a storage shed with its doors secured in the open position. Glancing into the shed, the officer observed parts of an AR 15 style assault rifle and AR 15 style assault rifles in plain view.
The jury deliberated approximately 50 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on both counts of the superseding indictment. Little faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison unless the court determines that he is an armed career criminal. In that event, Little faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that the case was prosecuted as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets ‘the worst of the worst’ offenders for federal prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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