A federal judge on Wednesday morning sentenced a failed political candidate to 80 years in prison for plotting a scheme in late 2022 to shoot up the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two state lawmakers.

U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs imposed well beyond the mandatory minimum sentence requested by 42-year-old Solomon Peña, saying he is "a clear danger to the community."

"It makes the average person running for public office reconsider it," Riggs said. "It's beyond a miracle that no one was hurt or killed."

The federal criminal case has been followed closely, a high-profile example of political violence in recent years.

Peña, a Republican, had lost a race in November 2022 for Albuquerque’s House District 14. He was accused of creating and carrying out the plot to shoot up

See Full Page