Plea Agreement Requires Imposition of 84-Month Prison Sentence
ALBUQUERQUE - Phillip Pacheco, 29, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court to being a felon in possession of firearms and counterfeiting U.S. securities. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Pacheco will be sentenced to 84 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Pacheco was indicted on May 28, 2015, and charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and counterfeiting U.S. securities on July 1, 2013, in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Pacheco was prohibited from possessing firearms because he previously had been convicted of marijuana trafficking, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Pacheco was arrested in Aug. 2015, after he was transferred to federal custody from state custody where he was being held on related state charges. The state charges have since been dismissed in favor of federal prosecution.
During today’s proceedings, Pacheco pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Pacheco admitted that on July 1, 2013, he possessed three firearms even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his status as a convicted felon. Pacheco further admitted that he fraudulently made 147 counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes with a total face value of $9,820.00.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Pacheco must forfeit the three firearms found in his possession on July 1, 2013. He also must forfeit the equipment he used to make the counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes.
Pacheco remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Albuquerque Police Department, with assistance from the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
