Louis Matthews, Execution-Style Murder, Nevada 2013

Louis Matthews, 35, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the 2013 execution-style murder of drug supplier Luciano Madrigal-Herrera during a botched marijuana deal. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan, includes an additional 10 years for firearm charges and five years of supervised release. The conviction caps a years-long federal prosecution stemming from a deadly drug transaction that left one man dead and two others shot in a North Las Vegas apartment complex.

On November 30, 2013, Matthews and John Thomas III, 25, arrived at an apartment on East Cheyenne Avenue to buy 20 pounds of marijuana from Madrigal-Herrera. After the victim showed a sample of the product, he went outside to retrieve the rest. Matthews followed, claiming he’d return with money and his accomplice. Instead, he came back armed. Surveillance and witness testimony later revealed both men pulled handguns and opened fire on Madrigal-Herrera inside the apartment, executing him in a violent robbery attempt. They then fled with the marijuana.

Julio Nunez, 28, and Angel Juarez, 29, both of North Las Vegas, were present during the deal. In a desperate move to stop the robbery, Nunez fired a sawed-off shotgun at Matthews and Thomas as they tried to escape, striking Thomas and his vehicle. Despite the gunfire, the two managed to flee the scene. Thomas was captured the same night after police found his bullet-riddled car abandoned in front of the murder scene. A months-long investigation led authorities to Matthews, who was later identified and charged as the second gunman.

After a seven-day trial, a federal jury convicted Matthews on October 12, 2016, of one count of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of using a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime resulting in death. The verdict sealed his fate, with prosecutors emphasizing the cold-blooded nature of the killing and the danger armed drug traffickers pose to the community.

Three co-defendants were also charged. John Thomas III pleaded guilty to the same counts as Matthews and awaits sentencing. Julio Nunez pleaded guilty to conspiracy and discharging a firearm during a drug crime, receiving 42 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Angel Juarez remains awaiting trial. Federal prosecutors stressed the coordinated effort between agencies to dismantle the entire operation.

“Our United States Attorney’s Office and all our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in efforts to identify violent crime and we will continue to combat it head on,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden. ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder added, “This case is an example of the hard work the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department and ATF agents do on a daily basis to protect the public from armed drug traffickers who threaten our neighborhoods.” The case was investigated by ATF, LVMPD, and North Las Vegas PD, and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.