El Paso man nicknamed 'Cholo' sentenced to 21 years in prison for 2021 fatal kidnapping
A man nicknamed "Cholo" was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison for kidnapping and fatally beating a man at an El Paso stash house and dumping his body in Las Cruces.
Armando Leonardo Moreno, 21, was sentenced April 24 to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison on one count of kidnapping resulting in death in the 2021 death of a man found dumped in Las Cruces with stab and gunshot wounds, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas officials said.
Moreno, of El Paso, also was sentenced to five years of supervised release after he serves his prison term. He must participate in substance abuse treatment and mental health programs, federal court records show.
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U.S. Senior Judge David Briones handed down the sentence at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso.
Moreno pleaded guilty to the charge Feb. 7. He was facing up to life in federal prison.
Moreno was one of five people charged in the fatal kidnapping. The other people arrested were Ricardo Matthew Gutierrez, Alberto Rodriguez, Ruben Pimentel and Michelle Karen Avila. Some are already serving federal prison sentences.
The name of the victim has not been released.
Kidnapped from El Paso stash house, dumped in Las Cruces
Moreno and members of a "transnational criminal organization" kidnapped the victim Sept. 13, 2021, from an El Paso stash house. Moreno was a "solider in a transnational criminal organization," officials said.
The group took the victim to another house, dragged him out of the vehicle when they arrived and beat him in the front yard of the house, a federal indictment states.
The victim was eventually taken inside the house where the gang members continued to beat him. The gang was accused of holding the victim for ransom. Court documents do not state what the ransom demand was.
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The victim's body was found Sept. 16, 2021, in Las Cruces. The victim was found with multiple gunshot and stab wounds, officials said.
Moreno and the other gang members communicated about the kidnapping and killing over the WhatsApp messaging application, the indictment states.
Co-defendants sentenced to prison, one awaiting sentencing
Three of the four co-defendants in the case have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the fatal kidnapping.
Gutierrez pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death and was sentenced March 14 to more than 11 years in prison.
Pimentel was originally sentenced Aug. 17, 2023, to more than 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to kidnap. The sentence was reduced March 5 to nine years in prison. The reason for the reduction is sealed by a judge's order.
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Avila originally received a 10-year prison sentence May 25, 2023, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap, federal court records show. Officials said she is serving five years in prison in connection with the deadly kidnapping. No information was released on why the sentence was reduced. Court records also do not state the reason why her sentence was reduced.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty Aug. 10 to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. He is set to be sentenced May 16. He remains in federal custody, officials said.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man sentenced to federal prison in deadly kidnapping case
