Man sentenced to 80 years for New Mexico political shootings

Solomon Peña, a former state House candidate, received 80 years in prison on Wednesday for organizing a politically motivated shooting and planning to obstruct justice by killing witnesses. After losing his November 2022 bid for the New Mexico state House of Representatives, Peña recruited two people to carry out shootings at the homes of several public officials, according to the Department of Justice. He provided money and instructions to fellow attackers, Jose and Demetrio Trujillo, and personally participated in one of the drive-by shootings, according to the department.

Peña launched the attacks after pressuring the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the election results and alleging that the vote was rigged. Once arrested, Peña tried to bribe his fellow inmates to kill co-conspirators, Jose and Demetrio, to stop them from testifying, federal prosecutors said. A federal jury convicted Peña in March on a swath of charges that included conspiracy, possessing a firearm, interfering with federally protected activities, and solicitation to commit violence. The 42-year-old must also pay restitution, along with a $250,000 fine, according to the DOJ.

What happened to the co-conspirators? Both co-conspirators pleaded guilty to charges for their involvement in the plot. Jose received about three years in prison, and Demetrio received 15 years. 

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more about Peña’s conviction.