TCDAO Staff Receives ATF NIBIN Award for their Collaboration in a Multi-Agency Violent Crimes Investigation

Travis County, Tx — Last month, Travis County District Attorney’s Office Attorneys Habon Mohamed and Victor Erbring, along with Investigator Fred Spenser, were honored with the NIBIN Award from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their exceptional collaboration with members of the ATF, Austin Police Department, and US Attorney’s Office in the handling of a violent crime investigation.

The NIBIN program, managed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), plays a crucial role in solving gun-related crimes by swiftly evaluating ballistic evidence to match firearms cartridge casings used in shootings. This program enhances the collaboration between law enforcement agencies, thereby increasing their effectiveness in investigating and prosecuting such cases.

On December 1, 2022, Austin Police Department officers arrested Shane Alexander Taylor, 37, for his alleged involvement in a commercial burglary that occurred earlier that day. Upon apprehension, authorities found two firearms and ammunition in Mr. Taylor’s possession.

On December 2, 2022, APD’s Burglary Unit reached out to ATF agents regarding his arrest and to arrange for a prompt test firing of the confiscated firearms. The results were entered into the NIBIN database, and the program linked the test fires of Mr. Taylor’s firearm to the recovered fired cartridge casings collected at the murder crime scene of Olmero Lopez Santos, 42, which took place on November 29, 2022.

ATF agents contacted our office shortly after regarding Mr. Taylor’s developing case and the NIBIN results connecting him to Mr. Santos’s murder. Our TCDAO Assistant District Attorney Victor Erbring and Habon Mohamed, along with Investigator Fred Spencer, received Mr. Taylor’s state felony cases and continued to collaborate with our law enforcement partners.

Shane Alexander Taylor is currently facing state charges of Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Burglary of a Building.

On November 1, 2022, our county leaders passed the “Safer Travis County” resolution, which approved the establishment of a future countywide NIBIN program that will make it easier for all law enforcement agencies in Travis County to analyze ballistic evidence to investigate & prosecute firearm-related cases and disrupt cycles of violence.

“The NIBIN program’s effectiveness was evident during this investigation,” said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. “This is why our office supported the county’s resolution to establish a countywide NIBIN program for its impact on investigations and how it can prevent violent crime.”

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