ALBQUERQUE, N.M. – A federal jury in Albuquerque has delivered a guilty verdict against Jody Rufino Martinez, 41, of Truchas, New Mexico, for his involvement in a heinous murder.
Martinez, a self-identified ‘soldier’ of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM) prison gang since 1998, was found guilty of murder, participation in a Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition for conduct related to the SNM gang.
The jury acquitted Martinez on one count of witness tampering.
According to public court records, Martinez committed numerous violent crimes on behalf of the SNM since joining the gang. These crimes included the murder of a victim on Dec. 5, 2008 in Rio Arriba County for failing to deliver drugs to an SNM gang member.
On Oct. 24, 2018, Martinez knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition when he shot a victim at a residence in Santa Fe County as retaliation for supposedly disrespecting the SNM.
As a previously convicted felon, Martinez cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Martinez is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder conviction, and a sentence of up to life on the RICO conspiracy conviction.
The FBI, New Mexico State Police, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Mexico Department of Corrections investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Las Cruces Branch Office are prosecuting the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force program.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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