New Mexico Jury Verdicts, Settlements and Court Decisions
<h2> <center> United States of America v. Miranda Cachini </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with involuntary manslaughter. By Kent Morlan Miranda Cachini, age 27, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, consumed alcoholic beverages and fell asleep while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter in bed. During the night, Cachini rolled over on top of the baby, causing her to pass away by asphyxiation. ... More...
$ (05-10-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Kevin Metcalf </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with illegally possessing a firearm after he shot a store employee during an attempted liquor theft at an Albuquerque business. On December 29, 2024, Kevin Metcalf, 37, entered El Rey Liquors in downtown Albuquerque and attempted to steal a bottle of alcohol. When a store employee intervened, Metcalf fled the sce... More...
$ (04-29-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> State of New Mexico v. Nadine Judith Gonzales </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer John McCall represented the Defendant charged with Shoplifting (Over $2,500 but not more than $20,000) and Conspiracy to Commit Shoplifting (Over $2500, Less than $20,000) 30-16-20 provides: A. Shoplifting consists of one or more of the following acts: (1) willfully taking possession of merchandise with the intention of converting it withou... More...
$ (04-28-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> State of New Mexico v. Yufang Bao and John Tunney Bao </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants trafficking women for commercial sex. Yufang Bao and and John Tunney Bao owned and operated six massage parlors in Albuquerque where they allegedly engaged in sex trafficking.... More...
$ (04-27-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Zachary Babitz </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with interference with commerce by committing a series of armed robberies and carjackings across New Mexico in 2024 that culminated in the fatal shooting of a victim during a carjacking in Santa Fe County. Babitz, 40, committed a series of armed robberies, carjackings, and a fatal shooting across Bernalillo, Sant... More...
$ (04-17-2026 - nm)<h2> <center> State of New Mexico v. Nicholas Schmidt, a/k/a Nicholas Andrew Schmidt </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with child abuse and failure to report1 child abuse or neglect. Defendant and his spouse were charged with child abuse and failure to report child abuse or neglect. The State filed a motion that sought a ruling from the district court about whether the spousal privilege would apply to the text messages or if t... More...
$ (04-07-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Jose Ramirez </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with kidnapping. In 2018, just weeks after his release from prison for a felony firearm conviction stemming from a high-speed police chase, and while under court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitor, Jose Ramirez, 47, engineered a calculated and violent kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting his former emp... More...
$ (04-07-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Jose Ramirez </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to carjack, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion in December 2025.... More...
$ (04-01-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc. </h2> </center>
Santa Fe, New Mexico Attorney General's Office represented the States of New Mexico claiming that Meta failed to warn users about the dangers of its platform and protect children from sexual predators and willfully engaging in "unfair and deceptive" and "unconscionable" trade practices. New Mexico also claimed that Meta created a "breeding ground" for child predators on Facebook and Instagram. ... More...
$375000000 (03-25-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> Angel Salcdo, et al. v. City of Las Vegas, et al. </h2> </center>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, personal injury lawyer represented the Plaintiffs who sued on civil rights violation theories. During an hours-long standoff with law enforcement in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Alejandro Alirez shot his girlfriend, Cristal Cervantes, and her grandfather, Victor Cervantes, inside their home. Alirez livestreamed the encounter on Facebook for nearly 51 minutes. Cristal was a... More...
$ (03-17-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> State of New Mexico v. Brian Pori </h2> </center>
Grants, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with bringing contraband into a prison. Albuquerque criminal defense lawyer Brian Pori, 64, was going to meet an inmate on Wednesday. While he was going through a security point at the prison’s visitor entrance, a correctional officer found suboxone strips in the inner lining of Pori’s eyeglass case.... More...
$ (03-14-2026 - NM)<h2> <center> United States of America v. Claudiu Pesteleu </h2> </center>
Las Cruces, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyers Gabriel Perez and Jessica Martin represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Claudiu Pesteleu, age 44, a Romanian national illegally in the United States participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products... More...
$ (03-09-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Francisco Solia
Bernalillo County, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with being a felon in possession of firearms and road rage. Francisco Solis accused of threatening a man with a handgun and driving away in a white Ford F150. A search of the Defendant's home resulted in the seizure of: • A total of 17 magazines for various firearms • A total of 1,407 rounds of v... More...
$ (02-28-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Jovan Martinez and Makaela Johnson
Santa Rosa, New Mexico Defendants accused of shooting at New Mexico State Trooper. Criminal defense lawyer represent the Defendants to shot at NMSP officer who tried to stop Jovan Martinez and Makaela Johnson on US Highway 285, south of Vaughn.... More...
$ (02-26-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. . Albert Rival
Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant who brandished a fire arm. Albert Rival, 65, was a member at the North Valley Senior Center, but staff had to call the police, saying he took things too far.... More...
$ (02-22-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Edison Brady
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with econd-degree murder for fatally stabbing a man during an assault on the Navajo Nation. On July 25, 2024, officers with the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to fight in progress near a defunct business in Shiprock, New Mexico. Upon arrival, they found John Doe lying on the ground with wounds to his f... More...
$ (02-19-2026 - NM)<center? State of New Mexico v. Joseph Montoya </centr>
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with burglary. Joseph Montoya was shot while burglarizing the business for a second time.... More...
$ (02-17-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Richard Sepulveda
Las Cruces, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with using Molotov cocktails to ignite multiple fires at an apartment complex. on January 12, 2026, Las Cruces Fire Department responded to a reported fire at the Villa Del Telshor Apartments in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Fire investigators determined the fire originated in a second-floor apartment and was intentiona... More...
$ (02-10-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Robert Haack
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire and mail fraud. Robert Haack, 59, carried out a years long scheme to defraud collectors by selling counterfeit jewelry falsely represented as authentic works by renowned Hopi artist Charles Loloma. The evidence established that between approximately 2008 and 2015, Haack manufactured dozens of fake Lo... More...
$ (01-29-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Adrian Cheama
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury. On June 16, 2025, Adrian Cheama, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, stabbed an unarmed man in the abdomen with a sharp metal object without apparent provocation, then disposed of the weapon, preventing law enforcement from rec... More...
$ (01-29-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Angelique Silva
Albuquerque, New Mexico criminal defense lawyer John Rhinehart represented the Defendant charged with burglary, unlawful taking of an automobile and theft of a credit card. Angelique Silva, age 43, broke into and stole with keys inside lockers in a gym where the owners were exercising. She would then steal the cars parked in the parking lot.... More...
$ (01-23-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Justin Hunt
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right. Justin Hunt, a former Albuquerque Police Department lieutenant, engaged in a scheme to arrest drunk drivers who were set up for arrest. Bribes would then be solicited and taken in exchange for Hunt intentionally fai... More...
$ (01-23-2026 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Santiago Martinez
Denver, Colorado, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with manslaughter. Santiago Martinez, age 33, killed Suazo during an argument outside their shared home on the Taos Pueblo. The couple had been listening to music when DeAnna again expressed her long-stated desire to end their romantic relationship, which she had often done before. The argument escalated into a physi... More...
$ (01-16-2026 - NM)<H2> State of New Mexico v. Timothy Busfield
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with sexual abuse of a minor. Timothy Busfield, accused of abusing a 7 year old boy on the set of “The Cleaning Lady,” a TV series Busfield directed and acted in.... More...
$ (01-10-2026 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Max Jaramillo
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with wire fraud and embezzlement by an Officer of a Labor Organization. From 2014 through early 2024, Max Jaramillo, 58, served as treasurer of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, Local 331, a position that carries fiduciary duties to safeguard union assets and to accurately disclose the union’s financial... More...
$ (01-07-2026 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Donald Thompson
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with second-degree murder. On January 1, 2026, Donald Thompson, 49, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, allegedly shot and killed another Laguna Pueblo member during a confrontation at a cemetery within the Pueblo of Laguna in Cubero, New Mexico. Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting and foun... More...
$ (01-08-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. April Hernandez </center.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the defendant charged with identity theft and fraud. April Hernandez was accused of identity theft and multiple counts of fraud after stealing three nurses’ identities and providing care for hospice patients without a license.... More...
$ (01-07-2026 - NM)United States of America v. Jason Baca
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with felony possession of a firearm. 18:922(g)(1) and 924: Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; 18:111(a) and (b): Assault on a Federal Officer; 18:924(c)(1)(A)(ii): Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of, a Crime of Violence. An Albuquerque man is federally charged... More...
$ (12-29-2025 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Christina Escobedo Arriaga
Las Cruces, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with: Two counts of Homicide by Vehicle (Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Any Drug) One count of Great Bodily Harm by Vehicle (Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Any Drug) Two counts of Intentional Abuse of a Child Resulting in Death One count ... More...
$ (12-31-2025 - NM)<H2> State of New Mexico v. Jason Hurd
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant, Jason Hurd, accused for shoplifting. The allegedly stole $700 from the Target on Paseo del Norte in Albuquerque.... More...
$ (01-05-2026 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Hunter Apachito
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant, Hunter Apachito, age 22, who is charged with domestic assault and battery and felony pointing of a firearm.... More...
$ (01-05-2026 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Robert J. Padilla, Jr.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with orchestrating a retaliatory killing tied to a violent prison gang and for using violence and intimidation to protect an ongoing drug trafficking operation. Robert Padilla, 48, was an associate of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM), a prison-based gang whose members and associates engaged in murder, drug tr... More...
$ (12-19-2025 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Robert Candelaria
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with DUI. Robert Candelaria, had a wreck on Interstate 40 eastbound on December 24, 2025. A search of Candelaria' vehicle at the scene disclosed that cocaine.... More...
$ (12-29-2025 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Crystal Hernandez
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with child abuse. Crystal Hernandez, age 39, is accused for letting her 4-year-old son access cocaine. When police entered Hernandez's child's teeth were rotten and his heartbeat was abnormal. Hernandez allegedly said that her child most likely tested positive for cocaine as a result go getting into her bo... More...
$ (12-27-2025 - NM)<H2> State of New Mexico v. Adrian Ferran
Los Alamos, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represents the Defendant charged with rape. Adrian Ferran, age 26, is accused of having had sex with to 14-year-old girl in Los Alamos. Police said Ferran admitted he had sex with the girl.... More...
$ (12-19-2025 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Robert Padilla
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with orchestrating a retaliatory killing tied to a violent prison gang and for using violence and intimidation to protect an ongoing drug trafficking operation. Robert Padilla, 48, was an associate of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico (SNM), a prison-based gang whose members and associates engaged in murder, drug tr... More...
$ (12-19-2025 - NM)Marc Grano, et al. v. Michelin North America, Inc.
Las Vegas, New Mexico, personal injury lawyers represented the Plaintiffs on a product liability wrongful death case. The three family members died in a head-on collision in rural Gaines County, Texas, after a Michelin LTX M tire on the front driver's side experienced tire separation. The failure caused the family's eastbound Ford Expedition to veer into the westbound lane and collide with a... More...
$220000000 (12-16-2025 - NM)<H2> United States of America v. Maylene John
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with voluntary manslaughter in Indian Country. On October 24, 2022, Maylene John, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation at the time of the offense, stabbed her 7-year-old daughter in the heart with a knife, causing her death. John was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the incident. J... More...
$ (12-10-2025 - NM)<H2> State of New Mexico v. Darrell McGrew
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with multiple crimes. He sped in and out of traffic in a stolen vehicle on Interstate 40 and I-25, before BCSO deputies brought the pursuit to an end with a PIT maneuver in Bosque Farms.... More...
$ (11-28-2025 - NM)State of New Mexico v. Jameei Waheed
Albuquerque, New Mexico, criminal defense lawyer will represent the Defendant accused for a shooting at the All Eyes On Me Barber Shop, near Central Avenue and Fifth Street, that left one person wounded.... More...
$ (11-30-2025 - NM)