Michael Deherrera, Carjacking and Felon in Possession of a Firearm, New Mexico 2020

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In a disturbing case of carjacking, 26-year-old Michael Deherrera of Belen, New Mexico, was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a terrifying incident that left a victim shaken.

According to the plea agreement, Deherrera carjacked a victim by threatening her with a screwdriver on February 3, 2020, in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Deherrera then drove away with the victim still in the car, forcing her to jump from the moving vehicle to escape.

The victim’s bravery in the face of danger is a testament to the strength of the human spirit, and we hope that this sentence brings her some measure of closure.

Deherrera’s sentence is a result of his admission to also possessing a firearm on February 18, 2020, which he attempted to dispose of by throwing it from the window of a moving vehicle. At the time, Deherrera had a prior felony conviction for armed robbery, making him a convicted felon who could not legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Fredrick T. Mendenhall is prosecuting the case, and we commend his efforts in bringing Deherrera to justice.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office all worked together to investigate this case, and we thank them for their dedication and expertise.

Michael Deherrera, 26, of Belen, New Mexico, was sentenced in federal court on April 11, 2023, to five years in prison for carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The exact criminal charges against Deherrera include carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The city and state involved are Albuquerque, New Mexico. The exact date of the crime was February 3, 2020, and February 18, 2020.

The mandatory facts of this case include the defendant’s real full name, Michael Deherrera; the exact criminal charges, carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm; the city and state, Albuquerque, New Mexico; the exact date, February 3, 2020, and February 18, 2020; and the sentence or outcome, five years in prison.

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