A Las Cruces man was sentenced to 80 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition while under felony indictment, including an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on November 12, 2020, Delbert Tyler Trevino, 33, was indicted in the State of Texas on felony charges of theft of property, fraud, and possession of a controlled substance. On January 31, 2022, Trevino pleaded guilty to those felony charges. Rather than entering a judgment at that time, the court placed him on deferred adjudication probation for a period of five years.
Under Texas law, deferred adjudication allows a defendant to accept responsibility for a crime without an immediate conviction. If the defendant successfully completes the terms of probation, the case is dismissed without a conviction on their record.
Despite being prohibited from possessing firearms while on probation, evidence showed Trevino later obtained firearms that had previously been seized by police. Trevino is also alleged to have purchased ammunition in New Mexico on July 22, 2022.
On September 2, 2022, deputies from the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant related to a homicide investigation at a residence associated with Trevino in Mesilla Park, New Mexico. During the search, authorities recovered an unregistered short-barrel rifle from the bedroom Trevino was staying in.
Trevino was subsequently convicted by a federal jury on April 24, 2024, of federal firearms and ammunition offenses including possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Upon his release from prison, Trevino will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison are prosecuting the case.
The homicide investigation remains pending. If you have any information relating to this matter or other crimes committed by Trevino, please contact the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office at 575-525-1911.
