ALBUQUERQUE – Justin Brouillette, 21, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court to carjacking and firearms charges announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Thomas G. Atteberry of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Gorden Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). Under the terms of his plea agreement, Brouillette will be sentenced in the range of 11 to 13 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Brouillette was arrested in July 2015, on a criminal complaint alleging that he used a firearm on July 8, 2015, to shoot at APD officers as they attempted to execute a traffic stop on Brouillette as he was driving in southeast Albuquerque. Shortly thereafter Brouillette crashed his vehicle into another vehicle (the Ford), and then attempted to carjack the Ford by brandishing a firearm at the Ford’s owner and ordering him out of the car. While Brouillette was attempting to carjack the Ford, APD officers drove into the area and Brouillette allegedly fled on foot after discharging the firearm at the officers for a second time.
Brouillette was subsequently indicted on July 30, 2015, and charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, attempted carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a carjacking, and brandishing and discharging a firearm during a carjacking. The offenses charged in the indictment took place on July 8, 2015, in Bernalillo County, N.M. On that day, Brouillette was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his status as a convicted felon. Court records reflect that Brouillette has two felony convictions for receiving or transferring stolen vehicles in the Second Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico in Bernalillo County.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Brouillette pled guilty to two counts of the indictment charging him with carjacking and discharging a firearm in furtherance of the carjacking. Brouillette admitted that on July 8, 2015, as he attempted to escape from police and collided with another vehicle, he got out of his vehicle, pointed a gun at the other driver and ordered the other driver out of his vehicle. Brouillette further admitted that he attempted to take the other vehicle but it was disabled, he fired shots at the officers and then fled on foot.
This case was investigated by the ATF office in Albuquerque and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Presiliano A. Torrez is prosecuting the case as part of a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution. Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible. Because New Mexico’s violent crime rates, on a per capita basis, are amongst the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Bernalillo County, under this initiative.