ALBUQUERQUE - Joseph A. Jacobs, 35, of Silver City, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to violating the federal firearms laws under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jacobs was arrested in May 2017, on an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Feb. 1, 2016, in Luna County, N.M. According to the indictment, Jacobs was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
During today’s proceedings, Jacobs pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Feb. 1, 2016, he possessed a handgun and multiple rounds of ammunition despite his status as a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. At sentencing, Jacobs faces a statutory maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. He remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Deming Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Beck of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
