Anthony Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

ALBUQUERQUE—Javier Orozco, 29, of Anthony, New Mexico, pleaded guilty this afternoon in Las Cruces federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Orozco and his brother Victor Manuel Carreon, 23, of Anthony, New Mexico, were arrested on September 5, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging them with being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition. The two were subsequently indicted on these charges in December 2013. The indictment alleged that Orozco and Carreon unlawfully possessed firearms and ammunition in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, on June 19, 2013. At the time, the brothers were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because they were convicted felons. Orozco had been convicted for shooting at a motor vehicle and aggravated assault, and Carreon previously had been convicted for possession of a controlled substance and aggravated fleeing from a law enforcement officer.

According to the criminal complaint, on June 19, 2013, Orozco and Carreon were arrested on state charges by Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputies who were seeking to arrest Carreon on state warrants. The deputies detained Orozco in the vicinity of a truck parked outside a residence in Anthony and arrested Carreon inside the residence. At the time of his arrest, Carreon was near a trash can that contained a loaded handgun; he admitted ownership of the handgun during a post-arrest interview. The deputies arrested Orozco after they allegedly found a large amount of cash and a plastic bag containing methamphetamine in Orozco’s pockets. During a search of the truck, which allegedly was driven primarily by Orozco, officers allegedly found additional currency and a loaded handgun.

This afternoon, Orozco entered a guilty plea and admitted possessing a 9mm handgun on June 19, 2013. Orozco has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing. At sentencing, Orozco faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

On January 7, 2014, Carreon pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition without the benefit of a plea agreement. Carreon has been in federal custody since his arrest in September 2013 and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. Carreon also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.