Michael Giron, a 44-year-old resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was fatally shot on September 28, 2014. The circumstances surrounding his death are intricately linked to the activities of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico a prison gang that originated after the 1980 New Mexico Penitentiary riots in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
According to federal indictment documents, Richard Gallegos, one of the defendants in the case, was directly implicated in Giron's murder.
The indictment alleges that Gallegos, along with another individual, was ordered by SNM members Christopher Garcia and Manuel Jacob Armijo to shoot and kill Michael Giron. This act was purportedly committed to further the interests of the SNM, specifically to gain entrance to and maintain or increase position within the gang.
The events leading to Giron's death involved Gallegos and another person picking up Giron and driving him to a dead-end street, where Gallegos allegedly shot and killed him. This incident was initially prosecuted at the state level by the State of New Mexico, but it was ultimately dismissed by state prosecutors. During the state prosecution, investigators and prosecutors concluded that the murder was not related to gang activities but rather stemmed from a debt dispute involving a scooter. However, this conclusion was based on the testimony of a witness whose credibility was questionable.
At the federal level, Gallegos was charged with racketeering conspiracy, violent crimes in aid of racketeering conspiracy to murder, and aiding and abetting. These charges were part of a broader federal case against multiple members and associates of the SNM, including Anthony Ray Baca, Christopher Garcia, Manuel Jacob Armijo, and several others. The federal indictment detailed various violent crimes and conspiracies committed by the defendants in furtherance of the SNM's objectives.
Gallegos' defense argued for a severance of his case from the other defendants, citing that his charges arose from a single incident and that he would suffer undue prejudice if tried alongside his co-defendants. Additionally, Gallegos emphasized his right to a speedy trial under the Speedy Trial Act, given that he had already been prepared to go to trial at the state court level and was now facing significant delays due to the federal proceedings.
In summary, Michael Giron's death is attributed to Richard Gallegos, who allegedly acted under the orders of SNM members Christopher Garcia and Manuel Jacob Armijo. The case highlights the complex and often violent nature of gang activities within the SNM and the extensive legal proceedings that followed, involving both state and federal jurisdictions.
