Roswell Felon Madrid Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crimes

Nathaniel Eddie Madrid, 39, of Roswell, N.M., stood before a federal judge in Las Cruces today and admitted to breaking federal law by possessing firearms and ammunition—despite being a convicted felon barred from owning either. The guilty plea marks the latest chapter in a criminal saga rooted in violence, drugs, and repeated defiance of the justice system.

Madrid was initially arrested on April 18, 2016, following a criminal complaint accusing him of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, along with possessing a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) in Lincoln County, N.M. During the arrest, law enforcement recovered three firearms, live ammunition, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia from his vehicle—evidence that painted a damning picture of a man living on the edge of the law.

On August 17, 2016, Madrid was formally indicted on charges stemming from the October 26, 2015, incident. Prosecutors laid bare his criminal past: convictions for possession of a controlled substance, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, breaking and entering, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, and—most critically—a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. At the time of his 2016 arrest, court records confirm Madrid was on probation for that exact offense.

The NFRTR check conducted after his arrest revealed Madrid had no firearms registered in his name—legally or otherwise. The absence of registration, combined with his felony record, solidified the federal case against him. Possession alone was enough; the nature of the weapons and the presence of drugs only deepened the severity.

Today’s hearing offered no deals, no leniency. Madrid entered his guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement, a rare move suggesting either a miscalculation or a last stand against mounting evidence. He now faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison and remains in custody as authorities await sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Las Cruces office and the New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred J. Perez, of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office, is prosecuting the case—another brick in the federal effort to root out illegal gun possession in New Mexico’s most vulnerable counties.