Keyton Wayne Lieber, Explosive Device Possession, New Mexico 2015

A shocking case of explosive possession has rocked the city of Las Cruces. Keyton Wayne Lieber, a 37-year-old resident of the city, has pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a destructive device.

Lieber’s guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement during a federal court hearing. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison at sentencing.

The discovery of the grenade was made on April 21, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M. New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers found the explosive in Lieber’s residence while executing a search warrant. The NMSP Bomb Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were contacted to safely dispose of the destructive device.

Court documents indicate that an inquiry into the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) notified law enforcement that Lieber had no firearms or devices registered to him in the NFRTR. This suggests that Lieber’s possession of the grenade was a serious breach of the law.

The investigation into Lieber’s possession of the grenade was a joint effort between the Las Cruces office of the ATF and the NMSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy M. Castellano of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

Lieber remains in federal custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. The court’s decision will be closely watched by law enforcement officials and the community at large.

The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of explosive possession and the importance of enforcing gun laws in New Mexico.

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