Solomon Pena allegedly plotted assaults in opposition to New Mexico officers after shedding his personal bid for workplace in November.
A former Republican candidate for New Mexico’s statehouse, accused of orchestrating a collection of drive-by shootings on the houses of Democratic officers, has been denied bail in america.
A state decide on Monday deemed Solomon Pena, 39, a hazard to the neighborhood and ordered him to stay in custody on a number of expenses, together with taking pictures at a dwelling and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Pena’s alleged scheme occurred within the wake of the November midterm elections, which occurred at a time of heightened concern over political violence within the nation following the January 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Within the wake of that assault, legislators and their households reported receiving threats in opposition to their security.
Like Trump, Pena had refused to just accept his election loss. He had been defeated by a commanding margin in his race for a seat in New Mexico’s Home of Representatives, in opposition to Democratic incumbent Miguel Garcia.
After the polls closed, Pena allegedly confirmed up at elected officers’ houses with paperwork he claimed confirmed he had gained. Prosecutors accuse Pena of additionally paying a father and son, in addition to two different unidentified males, to shoot at Democratic officers’ houses between early December and early January.
Two county commissioners and two state legislators had been targetted. Whereas nobody was injured within the shootings, three bullets handed by way of a bed room belonging to state Senator Linda Lopez’s 10-year-old daughter. Pena is accused of taking pictures at one of many houses himself. He was arrested on January 9.
Police are additionally investigating donations made to Pena’s marketing campaign, together with a contribution by one of many males he's accused of conspiring with, in addition to donations from that man’s mom. Investigators have stated they're attempting to find out whether or not the donated cash was earned by way of drug trafficking.
In the course of the proceedings on Monday, Pena’s defence lawyer, Roberta Yurcic, raised questions concerning the credibility of a confidential witness that shared data with authorities, saying that among the statements used within the legal criticism had been contradictory.
She additionally argued that Pena’s legal historical past didn't contain any violent convictions or crimes involving firearms. Aside from two site visitors citations, he had not been in hassle with the legislation since his launch from jail in 2016, Yurcic stated.
Court docket information present that Pena was jailed for a number of years after being arrested in 2007 in reference to what authorities described as a smash-and-grab housebreaking scheme that focused retail shops.
His voting rights had been restored after he accomplished probation in 2021.
Prosecutors, in the meantime, described Pena because the “ringleader” of a bunch he assembled to shoot at folks’s houses. Ballistics testing decided that a firearm discovered within the boot of a automobile registered to Pena was linked to not less than one taking pictures.
One other man was discovered driving that automobile and arrested on an unrelated warrant.
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