ALBUQUERQUE
Barring a successful appeal, failed Republican candidate Solomon Peña, 42, will spend the rest of his life in prison after a federal jury convicted him of leading a post-election shooting campaign against public officials and plotting to kill witnesses, authorities announced Wednesday.
The failed 2022 New Mexico House candidate falsely claimed the race was rigged, recruited two men to fire into officials’ homes—one attack with a fully automatic weapon—and personally joined one assault. Bullets struck areas where children had recently been or were sleeping.
(News13 News Report — Two Years ago)
Behind bars, Peña tried to have both gunmen murdered to silence them. He was convicted on March 23, 2025, of conspiracy, firearms charges, intimidation, and solicitation to commit violence.
Upon release, Peña will serve three years of supervised release and must pay restitution plus a $250,000 fine.
Accomplice Jose Trujillo received 37 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities, firearms charges, and fentanyl trafficking. Demetrio Trujillo got 15 years for conspiracy, interference, and multiple firearms offenses, including discharging a weapon.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell.