Rio Rancho Man Sentenced to Prison for Robbing Bank in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE – Joshua Abeyta, 23, of Rio Rancho, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on a bank robbery charge.

Abeyta was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the Santa Fe Federal Credit Union Bank located at 7101 Jefferson St. NE in Albuquerque, earlier in the day.  According to the complaint, Abeyta robbed the bank by handing a handwritten note with a robbery demand to a bank teller.  The bank teller complied with Abeyta’s written and verbal robbery demands by handing money to Abeyta.  Abeyta left the scene on foot and was pursued by customers of the bank before being arrested by an officer of the Albuquerque Police Department.  Abeyta was indicted on the same charge on Nov. 17, 2015.

On Aug. 19, 2016, Abeyta entered a guilty plea to the indictment, and admitted robbing the Santa Fe Federal Credit Union in Albuquerque on Oct. 19, 2015. 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley prosecuted the case.