Conrad Vasquez Salazar, Conspiracy and Firearms, New Mexico 2015

A 20-year prison sentence was handed down to Conrad Vasquez Salazar, 43, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for his conviction on federal conspiracy and firearms charges.

Salazar was also ordered to pay $111,018.05 in restitution to the victim of his criminal conduct.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, and Las Cruces Police Chief Jaime Montoya.

Conrad Vasquez Salazar, Clifford Raymond Salas, 38, and Andres Linares-Baca, 32, both of Las Cruces, and Thomas Vazquez Salazar, 39, of Odessa, Texas, were charged in a series of complaints and indictments, the first of which was filed in Sept. 2012, with violating the federal conspiracy, explosives and narcotics laws.

Salas, Salazar and Vazquez Salazar were charged with conspiracy and explosives charges that arose out of the firebombing of a tattoo parlor in Las Cruces on Aug. 31, 2012.

On Aug. 17, 2015, Salazar pled guilty to conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In entering the guilty plea, Salazar admitted that on Aug. 31, 2012, he conspired with other individuals to firebomb a tattoo parlor in Las Cruces.

Salazar also admitted producing two Molotov cocktails at his residence and instructing two co-conspirators on how to use them to set fire to the tattoo parlor. Salazar also admitted that on Sept. 22, 2012, he possessed a handgun and ammunition even though he previously had been convicted of residential burglary, conspiracy to commit first degree murder and aggravated battery on a peace officer and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron O. Jordan and Marisa A. Lizarraga of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case.

Salazar's 20-year prison sentence and three years supervised release follows a guilty plea to conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition on Aug. 17, 2015.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/pr/las-cruces-man-sentenced-twenty-years-prison-conviction-federal-conspiracy-and-firearms