FBI News:ALBUQUERQUE ― Christopher Gallegos, 33, of Albuquerque has pled guilty in federal court to aiding and abetting the armed robbery of an Albuquerque-area bank.
Gallegos was arrested in March 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him and four co-defendants, Greg Miera, 51, Martin Huerta, 43, Christian Herrera, 20, and Isaiah Gallegos, 20, all of Albuquerque, with bank robbery.
According to the complaint, a source identified the co-defendants as the individuals involved in robbing the US Bank branch March 30, 2016 at 5620 Wyoming Blvd. NE in Albuquerque. The complaint alleged that Albuquerque Police Department (APD) officers conducted surveillance as a vehicle with four men pulled up to the US Bank on the afternoon of March 30, 2016.
The complaint alleged that three of the men remained in the vehicle while the fourth entered the bank, threatened to shoot the bank employees, and demanded that two bank tellers place cash into a plastic bag.
Miera, Huerta, Herrera, Isaiah Gallegos and Christopher Gallegos were subsequently indicted April 27, 2016 on an armed bank robbery charge.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Christopher Gallegos entered a guilty plea to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, he admitted aiding and abetting the armed robbery of the U.S. Bank branch March 30, 2016, by conducting surveillance of various potential banks in the two days leading up to the robbery.
Co-defendant Huerta previously entered a guilty plea to the indictment Sept. 9, 2016, and Miera entered a guilty plea Oct. 11, 2016.
At sentencing, Christopher Gallegos, Miera and Huerta each face a statutory maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison. The co-defendants remain in custody pending sentencing hearings.
The two remaining co-defendants have entered pleas of not guilty to the indictment. Charges in complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Office of the FBI and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia Simms is prosecuting the case.
