DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of New Mexico

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Damon P. Martinez
, United States Attorney
Contact: Elizabeth M. Martinez

Rio Rancho Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – Joseph Raymond, 33, of Rio Rancho, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 39 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Raymond was arrested on Feb. 7, 2014, based on a criminal complaint alleging that he unlawfully possessed firearms and ammunition on Feb. 5, 2014, in Bernalillo County, N.M. Raymond was subsequently indicted on Feb. 26, 2014, and charged with unlawfully possessing a rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition. At the time, Raymond was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of robbery in the state of Nevada.

On March 2, 2015, Raymond entered a guilty plea to the indictment, and admitted that on Feb. 5, 2014, a search warrant was executed as his residence where agents from the United States Postal Inspectors Service (USPIS) found a rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition. Raymond also admitted that USPIS agent also located evidence that he was involved in possession of stolen mail, and that from Dec. 2013 through Feb. 2014, he conspired with others to steal mail from mail receptacles to obtain checks, debit cards and other mail that might benefit Raymond and his co-conspirators.

This case was investigated by the USPIS and the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Mott.

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Phoenix Field Division