ALBUQUERQUE - Grant Hykes, 34, of Albuquerque, N.M., made his initial appearance in federal court this morning on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hykes remains in federal custody pending a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, both of which are scheduled on Nov. 16, 2015.
The criminal complaint, filed earlier today by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), charges Hykes with unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition in Bernalillo County, N.M., on Nov. 12, 2015. Hykes was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously has been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, receiving stolen property, and possession of a controlled substance.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation leading to Hykes’ arrest began yesterday afternoon when the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) received a report that Hykes was allegedly threatening a BCSO detective. The complaint alleges that, when BCSO officers located Hykes in a parking lot in northeast Albuquerque, they observed him reach into his waistband and put his hands into the bed of a truck. When the officers approached Hykes and the truck, they allegedly observed a semi-automatic pistol in the truck’s bed; the pistol was loaded with 14-rounds of ammunition. Knowing that Hykes was a convicted felon, the BCSO officers arrested him for being a felon in possession of a firearm. While searching Hykes incident to arrest, the officers allegedly found a holster containing a magazine with 14-rounds inside Hykes’ waistband. The pistol found in the truck’s bed allegedly fit into the holster.
If convicted on the charge alleged in the criminal complaint, Hykes faces a statutory maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and the BCSO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
