NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 200 months in prison, the equivalent of about 16 and a half years, for a “violent crime spree” in New Mexico that included armed robberies, assaults, carjacking, and the shooting of a person in 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, Atkinson robbed an Albuquerque Dollar General store using a gun in November of 2021. In December, he then shoplifted clothes and pocketknives from a gas station and assaulted two employees in Belen. A few days later, he also assaulted another female employee at a Walmart in Belen after loading a cart with clothing and tools.
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On Dec. 17, Atkinson drove toward a U.S. Marshals Service task officer while pointing a pistol at him.
A few days later, Atkinson attempted to carjack a vehicle with three people inside. After they refused to open their doors, Atkinson was involved in a struggle with the vehicle’s owner, a 62-year-old veteran, and shot him in the back.
Responding officers successfully blocked the truck in following an unsuccessful escape attempt by Atkinson, and the 62-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital.
In April, Atkinson pleaded guilty to five crimes. Those include interference with commerce by robbery, assault upon a federal officer involving the use of a deadly weapon, carjacking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
When he is released from prison, he will undergo five years of supervised release.
