A Farmington man has been charged in federal court after allegedly selling multiple firearms and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement officer, according to an April 27 announcement.
Court documents state that on September 14, 2025, Pete Kimbell, age 41, spoke with an undercover officer from the New Mexico Region II Narcotics Task Force using coded language and indicated he had several firearms for sale. The following day, the officer met Kimbell at a residence in Kirtland while surveillance units monitored the area and the officer wore a covert recording device. During this meeting, the officer purchased several firearms and boxes of ammunition from Kimbell for about $2,100.
Kimbell is a previously convicted felon and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. He now faces charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Authorities said he will remain in custody until his detention hearing scheduled for April 29. If found guilty of these charges, he could face up to fifteen years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement regarding these charges.
The FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force led the investigation with help from several local law enforcement agencies including the Farmington Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; San Juan County Sheriff’s Office; Rio Rancho Police Department; and Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting this case.
Officials remind that “a criminal complaint is merely an allegation” and that “all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
