El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Using Interstate Communications to Threaten Las Cruces Police Officers

ALBUQUERQUE – Sean Stinson, 33, of El Paso, Texas, pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to using interstate communications to threaten the lives and safety of Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) officers.

Stinson was arrested on Sept. 2, 2016, for making telephone calls from El Paso to individuals in Las Cruces during which he threatened the lives of LCPD officers. According to the criminal complaint, Stinson had several telephone calls, some of which were recorded, with LCPD officers during which Stinson threatened to shoot, kill and otherwise injure specific officers.

Stinson subsequently was indicted on Sept. 21, 2016, and charged with seven counts of transmitting interstate communications with intent to threaten to injure another person. According to the indictment, Stinson committed the crimes between Aug. 24, 2016 and Sept. 2, 2016.

During today’s proceedings, Stinson pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Aug. 24 and 25, 2016, he made several telephone calls from El Paso to the LCPD during which he threatened to injure an LCPD officer. Stinson acknowledged that he intended his calls to be perceived as threats.

At sentencing, Stinson faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the LCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.