Attempted murder, Mafia connection, drug possession: Maricopa man given 20 years in prison
A Maricopa man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for multiple felony offenses that he committed both in and out of jail, according to a Monday news release from the Pinal County Attorney's Office.
On Aug. 14, Joey Mata, 38, was handed his punishment for attempted first degree murder, participation in a criminal street gang, and possession of dangerous drugs for sale by Pinal County Superior Court Judge Daniel Washburn.
The three charges come from three separate incidents: one in 2016, one last year, and one in January.
2016: Attempted murder in Coolidge
In early April 2016, Mata went to another man's residence and waited outside. When the victim came out, Mata shot at him, according to the news release.
The victim went after Mata and the two ended up in an alleyway. Mata continued to shoot at the victim. Mata left the area in a stolen car that was later recovered, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service at the time.
The victim survived and later identified Mata as the shooter.
It was not until a couple of weeks later that Mata, then 31, was found and arrested by U.S. Marshals at an apartment complex in Enid, Oklahoma.
At the time, Mata was a wanted man for other reasons by three Arizona agencies, according to the U.S. Marshals' release. Coolidge Police also wanted him on suspicion of aggravated assault with a firearm; The Arizona Department of Corrections wanted him because he violated his parole conditions; the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office wanted him for introducing prison contraband.
2022: Note identifies Mata as Mexican Mafia member
In January 2022, while Mata was in custody of the Pinal Detention Facility, a handwritten note that said to assault night staff was traced back to Mata, according to the Attorney's Office release.
A detention officer located the note in the section of the jail where Mata and other members of the Arizona Mexican Mafia were living. The note was a directive from the highest ranking member of the Mafia to assault staff at the jail, according to the Attorney's Office release.
A handwriting comparison was conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and found that Mata had written the note.
2023: Dangerous drugs unearthed during traffic stop
Mata was out on bail for the two prior incidents when he was pulled over for a traffic stop in January by Casa Grande Police, the Attorney's Office release stated.
While officers were conducting the traffic stop, they noted drug paraphernalia in plain view. While Mata was detained, officers found more evidence in his car including seven pounds of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and several thousand dollars in cash, according to the release.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa man sentenced to 20 years for 3 felony charges
