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Felony Kidnapper Sentenced to 10 Years

Joseph Anthony Martino

In a federal court in San Diego, a convicted felon has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping and possessing firearms. Joseph Anthony Martino, 40, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for the crimes committed on April 1, 2019.

According to court records, Martino held three people hostage at his Lakeside home, pointing loaded guns, including a fully automatic assault rifle, at their heads and threatening them. The victims were confined at gunpoint in order to confront one of them about a personal relationship.

Martino pleaded guilty in October 2020 and admitted to his criminal past, which included felony convictions for DUI, possession of a silencer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury.

As part of his plea agreement, Martino agreed to forfeit all of the firearms, ammunition, rails, receivers, smoke grenades, and body armor recovered by law enforcement during a search warrant at his residence in July 2019.

Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, ‘The use of a gun to commit a crime changes everything. The victims of gun-related crimes may be forever traumatized, and we remain focused on preventing and prosecuting these crimes because the stakes are so high.’

Martino is currently in continuous custody since his arrest on August 6, 2019. This case is part of the nationwide commitment to reduce gun crimes through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.