Solomon Peña, 40, a former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives, was convicted by a federal jury for his involvement in a series of politically motivated shootings and a plot to murder witnesses. Peña’s crimes, which were related to his 2022 election loss, were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico on Monday.
After losing his bid for the District 14 seat in the New Mexico House, Peña pressured the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to reject the certified election results. When the board voted to certify the results, Peña retaliated by orchestrating a series of shootings targeting the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators. These shootings took place between December 4, 2022, and January 3, 2023, with help from co-conspirators Demetrio Trujillo, 41, and Jose Trujillo, 24.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that after his arrest, Peña attempted to arrange the murders of several witnesses who were expected to testify against him. José Trujillo, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and firearms offenses in January 2023, and Demetrio Trujillo, who pleaded guilty to similar charges in February, both face sentencing in the coming months.
Peña now faces a mandatory minimum of 60 years in prison, with a possibility of life behind bars. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
