An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Joseph Dino Lopez, 59, was sentenced in federal court on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2022, Lopez approached a husband and wife at a Church’s Chicken drive-thru on Broadway Blvd SE in Albuquerque. Lopez was under the influence and appeared to be threatening the couple.
Surveillance footage shows Lopez retrieving a blue bag containing a shotgun and approaching the victims’ parked car. After an altercation where the male victim pepper sprayed him, Lopez pulled out the shotgun, loaded it, and pointed it at the couple before they fled.
Lopez briefly left the scene to wash the pepper spray out of his eyes, but returned, and APD arrested him as he exited the Church’s Chicken restaurant. The loaded shotgun was recovered from the blue bag he had left behind, and additional ammunition was discovered in his shirt pocket.
At the time of the offense, Lopez had previously been convicted of a total of nine felonies. After completing his term of imprisonment, Lopez will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release.
The Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes prosecuted the case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Related Federal Cases
- Gilbert John, Jr., Kidnapping and Murder, New Mexico 2019 · Puerto Rico
- Isaac Joseph Dodge, Armed Bank Robbery, New Mexico 2017 · New Mexico
- Joseph Matney, Armed Pharmacy Robbery, New Mexico 2018 · Colorado
- Roman I Trujillo, Home Invasion, New Mexico 2015 · New Mexico
- Rob Begay, Involuntary Manslaughter, New Mexico 2023 · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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