Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Prior Felon from Edgewood Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearms Laws
Defendant Prosecuted Under Federal “Worst of the Worst” Anti-Violence Initiative
ALBUQUERQUE – Eric Wolf, 32, of Edgewood, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws.
Wolf was arrested on June 3, 2014, on an indictment charging him with three counts of unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition on Jan. 8, 2014. It also charged Wolf with possessing stolen firearms from Dec. 13, 2013 through Jan. 8, 2014. At the time, Wolf was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of numerous felony offenses including forgery, receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, identity theft, conspiracy to commit theft of credit card, conspiracy to commit arson and burglary.
During today’s proceedings, Wolf pled guilty to Count 3 of the indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms on Jan. 8, 2014, in Santa Fe County, N.M. In his plea agreement, Wolf admitted to directing law enforcement officers to an arroyo in the vicinity of highways NM 344 and NM 14 where he had buried five stolen firearms.
At sentencing, Wolf faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison to be followed by a maximum of three years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department and the Edgewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.
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