Two Individuals Arrested for Firearms Violations

SAN JUAN, PR—Today, a criminal complaint was authorized by United States Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin against Edwin Omar Almonte-Nuñez and José Luis Robles-Pérez, for violating federal firearms laws, to wit, felon in possession and aiding and abetting, announced today Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.

On September 30, 2011, in the early morning hours, a Puerto Rico Police Officer (POPR) was off-duty at his residence in Caparra Heights, San Juan, Puerto Rico and observed two individuals trying to force entry into a house and called the police station. Another police officer who arrived at the scene observed a dark-colored Toyota Yaris leave with its lights off and at a high rate of speed until it crashed into a pole. Immediately thereafter, the officer observed an individual later identified as Edwin Omar Almonte-Nuñez getting out of the driver’s side of the vehicle and throwing a Sig Sauer pistol, 9mm caliber loaded with eight rounds of 9mm caliber ammunition, including one in the chamber. The officer immediately placed Almonte-Nuñez under arrest.

An individual later indentified to be José Luis Robles-Pérez, stepson of Almonte-Nuñez, was the passenger of the vehicle and was arrested by yet another POPR Officer. Robles-Pérez and Almonte-Nuñez participated in the commission of a robbery (home invasion) that night at the residence located in Caparra Heights, in which Almonte-Nuñez possessed and brandished the above described firearm. During the commission of this robbery, they physically assaulted an elderly female who sustained serious injuries.

“This is the first firearms case which federal authorities have filed under the provisions of the memorandum of understanding recently signed with the Puerto Rico Police Department and Puerto Rico Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez. “The collaboration and team work between state and federal law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prompt filing of charges in this case show the immediate results we expect to obtain with this joint initiative. The individuals who assaulted this elderly woman were immediately detained at MDC and have been removed from our streets.”

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilianys Rivera. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 10 years in prison. Criminal complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.