Jury selection starts Monday in trial of Solomon Peña

Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the trial of failed Republican candidate Solomon Peña on federal charges alleging he orchestrated a string of shootings at the homes of Democratic elected officials following the 2022 election.

Peña, who remains in federal custody, is expected to appear Monday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs is presiding. Peña faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Peña was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2023, alleging he “organized a shooting spree that targeted the homes of four elected officials and their families” in December 2022 and January 2022.

He faces a total of 13 federal charges. Among them are multiple felony counts of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, including one count alleging he used and discharged a machine gun.

Peña also faces charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, felon in possession of a firearm, four counts of interference with federally protected activities and conspiracy.

Federal prosecutors allege that Peña was motivated by his November 2022 election loss to incumbent Democratic Rep. Miguel Garcia. Peña later said on social media that he believed the election was “rigged.”

His attorney, Elizabeth Honce, told the judge earlier this month that she wants to call as witnesses David and Erin Clements — a Las Cruces couple who have built a national reputation as election deniers — people who believed recent elections were rigged and stolen through election fraud.

Prosecutors argued that David Clements is a “known election denier” and that his testimony would be irrelevant to the charges facing Peña.

Federal court records on Friday did not show whether Riggs has ruled on the proposed Clements testimony.

Prosecutors allege Peña paid two co-defendants to help target the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, former commissioner Debbie O’Malley, House Speaker Javier Martínez and state Sen. Linda Lopez.

No one was injured in the incidents, but a bullet penetrated the bedroom where Lopez’s daughter, then 10, was sleeping.

Peña is accused of hiring co-defendants Demetrio Trujillo, 42, and his son, Jose Trujillo, 22, to help carry out the shootings. Both of the Trujillos pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple federal charges and face sentences of up to life in prison. Neither man has been scheduled for sentencing.

Honce said earlier this month that she plans to contest information provided by Demetrio Trujillo that Peña himself fired an AR-style rifle while sitting in a truck between Demetrio Trujillo and his son.