Man sentenced to 72 months for providing sawed-off shotgun that killed police officer
Update (October 23, 2024): Apodaca received a 72 month federal prison sentence for providing De La O with the sawed-off shotgun. He had pleaded guilty in July.
ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico (KVIA) -- A 27-year-old Alamogordo man appeared in federal court today on a charge of possession of an unregistered weapon made from a shotgun.
Dominic Cruz De La O will temporarily remain in custody until his detention hearing on February 22, 2024.
A criminal complaint accuses De La O of shooting and killing Alamogordo Police Officer Anthony Ferguson during a traffic stop on July 15, 2023. Investigators say that De La O used a 12-guage shotgun.
"The barrel length of the shotgun was 16 inches, and the overall length was 25.5 inches," the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico's Office stated in a news release Tuesday. "The shotgun stock had been removed and replaced with a pistol grip."
Another man, 32-year-old Jonah Apodaca, appeared in federal court February 12, 2024. He is charged with providing the modified shotgun to De La O and will remain in custody pending a trial, which has not yet been scheduled.
