(PUEBLO, Colo.) — A Pueblo man has been sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and other charges which include possession of a machine gun and illegal narcotics.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, on Oct. 20, 2023, 33-year-old Joshua Pacheco was observed returning to his home while he was out on federal supervised release following a conviction for possessing a firearm as a prior felon. On that day, his car was searched and law enforcement found numerous firearms, including machine guns, and large quantities of controlled substances, including approximately 351 grams of fentanyl pills and 621 grams of methamphetamine. 

Officers also recovered approximately $2,000 in cash. The Attorney’s Office said Pacheco possessed the controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, and possessed the firearms “in furtherance of his drug trafficking.”

“Illegal guns and illicit drugs continue to drive violence in our communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “By bringing the full force of federal prosecution against the most dangerous offenders, we are removing threats from our neighborhoods and sending an unmistakable message: the FBI’s Southern Colorado Safe Streets Task Force is firmly committed to protecting our citizens and upholding the rule of law.”

Pacheco was sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a machine gun, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with an intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.