A federal jury swiftly convicted a man from Albuquerque for a federal firearms violation, taking less than 40 minutes to deliberate. The conviction stemmed from an incident where he shot his wife at her workplace.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that on October 21, 2022, Maurice Lacey, aged 65, entered the employee breakroom at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on 4700 Cutler Ave NE in Albuquerque. There, he shot his wife in the back of the head. Afterwards, Lacey proceeded to the store’s customer service desk, placed a black handgun on the counter, and admitted, “I just shot my wife.”
Lacey had a history of seven felony convictions, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and drug trafficking. Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated Lacey’s awareness of his status as a convicted felon, barring him from legally possessing firearms and ammunition.
Following the conviction, the Court ordered Lacey’s detention pending sentencing, which is yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Lacey could face a maximum of 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, as parole is not applicable in the federal system.
Today’s announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The investigation involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with support from the Albuquerque Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are handling the prosecution of the case.
The US Attorney charged Lacey with federal firearms violations in November 2022, you can read more here.
The usual suspect!!
Shopping at Wal-Mart sucks.