ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Christopher Leyba, 34, of Albuquerque, was arraigned in federal court in on Oct. 28 on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Leyba will remain in custody pending trial.
According to a criminal complaint, on Sept. 7, Leyba allegedly drove a stolen vehicle to a motel in Albuquerque and exited the vehicle with a holstered gun on his hip. Law enforcement officers searched Leyba’s vehicle on Sept. 8 and found two handguns. As a previously convicted felon, Leyba cannot legally possess as firearm or ammunition.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Leyba faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eva M. Fontanez is prosecuting the case as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Legend, a coordinated federal and local law enforcement initiative to fight gun and dangerous crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
