An Atoka man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Las Cruces to federal firearms charges.
Steven Fryer, 39, of Atoka, will be sentenced to 63 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court under the terms of his plea agreement.
Fryer was arrested Feb. 17 on a criminal complaint charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the complaint, Eddy County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) deputies arrested Fryer Oct. 29, 2014, after finding him in possession of a firearm following a short pursuit and standoff. Fryer was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior convictions for burglary in an Arizona court.
Fryer remains detained pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Las Cruces Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the ECSO, and the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force (PVDTF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.
The PVDTF is comprised of officers from the ECSO and Artesia and Carlsbad Police Departments and is part of the HIDTA Region VI Drug Task Force.
