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A subsequent check revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen to the Las Cruces Police Department on April 14, 2024.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Photos: Courtesy
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces teenager is facing charges in federal court for possessing a machine gun and a stolen firearm, after authorities discovered Instagram posts allegedly showing him with the illegal weapons.
According to court documents,on August 18, 2024, law enforcement became aware of an Instagram post depicting Jonathan Daniel Martinez, 18, an alleged member of the “East Side Locos” gang, holding a black handgun with the serial number visible. A subsequent check revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen to the Las Cruces Police Department on April 14, 2024. The handgun also had an aftermarket attachment, known as a machinegun conversion device (MCD), designed to convert the firearm into a fully automatic machine gun.
Further investigation of the Instagram account linked to Martinez revealed numerous posts featuring the same firearm, as well as other firearms.
A search warrant was executed on Martinez‘s residence on September 15, 2024, where the stolen black Glock 19 handgun with the Glock switch attached was found in his bedroom.
Martinez will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
View the Complaint (Martinez).pdf
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
