Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offenses
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Marquez Martinez pled guilty to dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of unlawful possession and transfer of a machine gun. Martinez, 25, of Albuquerque, will remain at the La Pasada Halfway House under numerous conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, in January of 2023, Martinez came to the attention of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) when a West Mesa High School student was found on campus with two firearms in their possession, one being a Glock which had been modified with a machine gun conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch.” The Glock was traced back to its original purchaser, Martinez. Over the next five months, undercover detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department conducted 4 controlled purchases of both firearms and machine gun conversion devices from Martinez through Instagram and tied two more guns seized during traffic stops back to him. During that time, the ATF also tracked Martinez’s firearm purchases, counting a total of approximately 35 purchased in 5 months. Based on this evidence, the ATF executed a search warrant on Martinez’s residence where they located approximately 15 firearms, a large amount of ammunition, and numerous ammunition magazines.
When questioned by agents, Martinez admitted to purchasing hundreds of firearms since turning 21, including at least 50 purchases in the past 6 months.
At sentencing, Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova is prosecuting the case.
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