Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with nine prior felony convictions was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison after robbing a local Whataburger at gunpoint and firing a shot inside the restaurant to effectuate the robbery.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on June 10, 2023, Jonas Brandon Sanchez, 40, entered the Whataburger in the South Valley, brandished a 9mm “ghost gun” equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and stole approximately $60. During the robbery, Sanchez fired a round into a wall when an employee walked away, endangering everyone present. The incident was captured on multiple high-resolution surveillance cameras.
On July 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence, recovering the firearm used in the robbery and the clothing he wore during the crime. Ballistics analysis from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) matched the shell casing found at the scene to Sanchez’s pistol. At the time of the offense, Sanchez was a nine-time convicted felon.
Upon his release from prison, Sanchez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.
The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state.