Man accused of killing Lincoln woman gets federal prison sentence for gun charges

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man accused of killing Carly Schaaf was sentenced Monday to federal prison for gun charges.

Joesef Barraza, 25, will spend 17 years behind bars for firearms conspiracy and possession of a weapon in furtherance of drug trafficking.

He will serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Barraza was prohibited from buying firearms in Nebraska due to previous drug and firearms convictions, the attorney’s office said.

He made an agreement with his co-defendant, Rachel Pageler, to buy guns for him.

Barraza would then illegally transfer and sell those guns to members of the No Names Demons gang, according to the attorney’s office.

The gang members used those weapons in robberies and shootings.

After his arrest in June 2021, investigators searched the home of Barraza and Pageler.  They found firearms and drugs, including meth and marijuana, according to the attorney’s office.

Investigators also discovered $1,200 in cash.  Pageler is scheduled to be sentenced for federal crimes in February.

Barraza and Pageler have also been accused in the killing of Schaaf, who was reported missing in May 2021.

Her body was found the next month at Pawnee Lake.  The Lincoln Police Department said she was suffocated.

Barraza and Pageler were arrested in January 2022.  Their charges were amended on Friday.

A Lancaster County judge amended Barraza’s charges to first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree sexual assault.

Pageler – who initially faced several charges, including first-degree murder – now faces only an accessory to a felony charge.