Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery Spree
Defendant Admits Robbing Four Albuquerque Businesses in Two-Week Period

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning, Oscar Marquez, 22, of Albuquerque, New Mewxico, pled guilty to four counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence and admitted robbing four Albuquerque-area businesses at gunpoint during a two-week period. Marquez’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales and Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI.

Marquez was charged in an eight-count indictment with four counts of violating the Hobbs Act by interfering with a business involved in interstate commerce by robbery and four counts of using a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment, which was filed in October 2012, also charged co-defendant, Rebecca Aguilar, 25, of Albuquerque, with aiding and abetting one of the robberies.

The indictment charged Marquez with robbing the following four Albuquerque-area businesses: the Captain D’s Restaurant on May 28, 2012 (count one); a Cricket Wireless Store on May 29, 2012 (count three); a King Wireless Store on June 7, 2012 (count five); and another Cricket Wireless Store on June 9, 2012 (count seven). Counts two, four, six, and eight charged Marquez with using a firearm during each of the four robberies. According to the indictment, Marquez discharged his firearm during the May 29, 2012 and June 9, 2012 robberies, and Aguilar allegedly participated in the May 9, 2012 robbery.

During today’s proceedings, Marquez entered guilty pleas to counts three, five, six, and seven of the indictment and admitted robbing store clerks at three businesses at gunpoint between May 29 and June 9, 2012. Marquez also pled guilty to an information charging him with the armed robbery of a store clerk at an Albuquerque-area Game Stop on June 10, 2012.

Marquez has been in federal custody since October 17, 2012, and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Marquez will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, and counts one, two, four, and eight of the indictment will be dismissed after he is sentenced.

Aguilar, who was arrested on October 15, 2012, has entered a not guilty plea to count seven of the indictment, the sole charge against her. The charge against Aguilar is only an accusation, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Aguilar is detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

This case was brought as part of a law enforcement initiative launched in July 2012, by the FBI’s Violent Crimes and Major Offender Squad and the Albuquerque Police Department’s Armed Robbery Unit that targets suspects implicated in commercial armed robberies. The new initiative is part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this anti-violence initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the District Attorney’s Office for the Second Judicial District of the State of New Mexico, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford.