Solomon Peña, a former candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives, has been sentenced to 80 years in federal prison after being found guilty of orchestrating shootings at the homes of public officials and attempting to arrange the murder of witnesses. Peña lost his bid for District 14 during the November 2022 midterm elections and subsequently claimed that the election was fraudulent. He then pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the results.
Court records indicate that after these efforts failed, Peña recruited Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo to carry out attacks on several officials' residences. Peña supplied cash, directions, and addresses for the shootings, personally participating in one incident. In one attack, a fully automatic machine gun was used, with rounds striking areas where children had recently been or were sleeping.
After his arrest, Peña sought to prevent Jose and Demetrio Trujillo from testifying by offering fellow inmates money and a vehicle in exchange for their deaths.
A federal jury convicted Peña on March 23, 2025, on charges including conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, intimidation and interference with federally protected activities, use or carrying of a firearm during violent crimes, and solicitation to commit violence.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our elections,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “This sentence shows that through the tireless work of our agents and prosecutors we will protect our democracy and bring offenders to justice.”
"The FBI is committed to protecting the American people and bringing justice to those who try to harm others and disrupt our democratic processes,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell. “We are grateful for our local and federal partners who worked tirelessly to ensure Solomon Peña is no longer a harm to the public."
Upon release from prison, Peña will be subject to three years of supervised release. The court also ordered restitution payments as well as a $250,000 fine.
Jose Trujillo pleaded guilty to several charges including conspiracy and firearm offenses related to violence and drug distribution; he received a sentence of just over three years in prison. Demetrio Trujillo also pleaded guilty on related charges and was sentenced to 15 years.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department with support from Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Peña and Patrick E. Cordova along with Trial Attorney William Gullotta from the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
