A Lake Arthur man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Las Cruces to a federal firearms violation.
Abel Montoya, 53, of Lake Arthur, entered his plea late Wednesday afternoon and, under the terms of his plea agreement, will be sentenced to 36 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Montoya was arrested Oct. 21, 2015, on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm on Feb. 27, 2014. On that day, the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force (PVDTF) executed a search warrant at Montoya’s residence and seized two firearms.
Montoya was subsequently indicted Jan. 20. At the time, he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction for cocaine trafficking and possession of methamphetamine.
Montoya remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Las Cruces Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the PVDTF, with assistance from the Fifth Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
