The federal trial for Albuquerque resident Solomon Peña, 42, who is accused of 11 counts including firearms charges and interference with federally protected activities began Monday.
Peña, a failed Republican politician, is accused of masterminding a series of politically-motivated shootings of prominent elected Democrats’ homes.
Peña ran for House District 14 in 2022 and lost by almost 50 percentage points.
Upon his loss, Peña claimed the election was “rigged.”
He lost to longtime state Representative Miguel P. Garcia, a Democrat incumbent, who is running for re-election.
Peña was the alleged mastermind in a series of shootings that took place between Dec. 4, 2022, and Jan. 3, 2023 at the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, then-Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley, state Sen. Linda Lopez and state Rep. Javier Martinez.
Peña allegedly hired four men including Demetrio and Jose Trujillo.
Peña’s federal charges include conspiracy, interference with federally protected activities and aiding abetting same, using and carrying a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence and possessing a firearm for furtherance of such and aiding and abetting same, using and carrying a machine gun during and in relation to a crime of violence and discharging said firearm and aiding and abetting same, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
