Failed NM House candidate faces July sentencing for conspiracy, interference in 2022 elections

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The federal courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Megan Gleason / Source NM)

The man who lost a race for the New Mexico Legislature and went on to orchestrate a series of shootings on the homes of his political opponents will be sentenced this summer.

Solomon Peña is scheduled to receive his prison sentence at 9 a.m. on July 2 in Albuquerque, according to an order entered by U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs on March 21.

Peña ran as a Republican for a seat in the state House of Representatives in 2022 and lost in a landslide by more than 47 points.

A jury last month found Peña guilty of organizing a series of shootings that targeted the homes of four elected Democratic officials in December 2022 and January 2023 after he refused to accept defeat. No one was physically harmed in the attacks, but police found bullet holes in the buildings.

The jurors found Peña guilty of one count of conspiracy for his role in the shootings; four counts of interfering with the 2022 elections; three counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime; one count of using or carrying a machinegun during and in relation to a violent crime; and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico on Monday pointed to Peña’s case after Republican leaders in New Mexico blamed a town hall meeting organized by U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) for a weekend fire they believe is arson on the state GOP headquarters in Albuquerque.

The case against Peña is being handled by the federal Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which was created in the wake of the 2020 election to protect election workers from violence. 

Last month, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined other Democratic senators to urge federal Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the task force’s work.

“Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” the senators wrote.

In their letter, they asked Bondi for an update on its status and activities by Monday.

A spokesperson for Luján said Tuesday that his office has not received a response.

The jury also found Peña guilty of three counts of solicitation to commit a violent crime for trying to hire — while incarcerated — two people to kill Demetrio Trujillo and Jose Louise Trujillo, a father-son duo who are co-defendants in the case against Peña and who accepted plea agreements last year.

Jose Louise Trujillo, who helped Peña’s election campaign, had been scheduled for sentencing on April 14, but his attorney asked Judge Riggs to delay his sentencing by a month. Online court records indicate Riggs entered an order responding to his request but the order itself was not posted online as of publication time.

Demetrio Trujillo is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21.

One of Peña’s victims, Debbie O’Malley, went on to become a state senator, and talked about her experience in the Roundhouse while she helped carry gun safety legislation.

This post was originally authored and published by Austin Fisher from via RSS Feed. to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.