ALBUQUERQUE – Solomon Peña, 42, a former candidate for District 14 of the New Mexico House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 960 months in federal prison after being found guilty of orchestrating a politically motivated shooting spree and plotting to murder witnesses to obstruct justice.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Peña falsely claimed his election defeat was due to rigging and pressured the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the results. Refusing to comply, he enlisted Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo to launch a series of attacks on public officials’ homes, providing them with cash, instructions, and addresses.
In one incident, Peña personally participated in an attack using a fully automatic machine gun, striking areas where children had recently been or were sleeping. Following his arrest, he attempted to have Trujillo brothers killed to prevent their testimony, offering money and a vehicle for their deaths.
On March 23, 2025, a federal jury found Peña guilty of conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, four counts of intimidation and interference with federally protected activities, four counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our elections,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “This sentence shows that through the tireless work of our agents and prosecutors we will protect our democracy and bring offenders to justice.”
Peña’s co-conspirators, Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo, were also sentenced; Jose received 37 months for his role, while Demetrio was handed a 180-month sentence. The court ordered Peña to pay restitution and a $250,000 fine and will be subject to three years of supervised release upon his release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell announced the sentencing today. The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Albuquerque Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova, along with Trial Attorney William Gullotta, prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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