A Twin Cities ex-con is facing a return to the slammer after admitting to carrying a gun illegally, authorities said. Salvador Anthony Pacheco, 45, coughed up a guilty plea to federal weapons charges following a traffic stop turned drug bust last fall.
During the stop on October 7, 2022, where Pacheco was initially pulled over for multiple traffic violations, a Minnesota State Patrol officer caught a whiff of weed emanating from Pacheco's car, this prompted the cop to call in a canine unit. The drug-sniffing dog hit paydirt, leading to a search that turned up a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in Pacheco's backpack, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Given Pacheco's rap sheet, which includes serious past convictions such as murder and assault, the law sees him as a person non grata for toting guns or any ammo. U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger's office announced that Pacheco, now a convicted felon, went against the grain and illegally armed himself nonetheless.
The guilty plea to the charge of firearm possession as a convicted felon took place before the U.S. District Court on Monday, with sentencing penciled in for a later date. The FBI, together with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Minnesota State Patrol, played pivotal roles in the investigation that led to Pacheco's plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is taking point on the prosecution, ensuring that justice is served in a case that serves as a reminder of the perils of recidivism amidst efforts to clamp down on gun violence in the community.
