El Paso man pleads guilty to kidnapping, killing and dumping man's body in Las Cruces
An El Paso man nicknamed "Cholo" has pleaded guilty to kidnapping a man from a stash house, brutally beating him to death and dumping his body in Las Cruces.
Armando Leonardo Moreno, 21, pleaded guilty Wednesday, Feb. 7, to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The guilty plea was made before U.S. Senior Judge David Briones at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso.
Moreno is facing up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date is set for April 24.
He was one of five people arrested in connection with the deadly kidnapping, federal court records show. The other people arrested were Ricardo Matthew Gutierrez, Alberto Rodriguez, Ruben Pimentel and Michelle Karen Avila.
Victim kidnapped, beaten to death and dumped in Las Cruces
Moreno was part of a "criminal organization" that kidnapped the victim from an El Paso stash house in September 2021, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas officials said. No information was released on the name of the criminal organization. Court documents also do not name the organization.
The victim, who is not name in court documents, was kidnap from the El Paso stash house and taken to another house in a vehicle. The victim was dragged out of the vehicle and beaten in the front yard of the house, officials said. He was taken inside and continued to be beaten by the group, officials said.
More: El Paso man pleads guilty to shooting Border Patrol agent during human smuggling attempt
The victim's body was found Sept. 16, 2021, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The victim was found with multiple gunshot and stab wounds, officials said.
An indictment states Moreno and the other defendants kidnapped the victim and held him hostage for a ransom. The indictment does not state what the ransom demand was.
It also states the defendants communicated about the kidnapping and killing over the WhatsApp messaging application.
Status of cases against co-defendants
Avila pleaded guilty Jan. 17, 2023 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap, federal court records show. She was sentenced May 25 to 10 years in federal prison.
Pimentel pleaded guilty March 22 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap, federal court records show. He was sentenced Aug. 17 to more than 15 year in prison.
More: Sunland Park brothers reindicted in migrant stash house case
Rodriguez, also known as Beto, pleaded guilty Aug. 10 to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, federal court records show. A sentencing date is set for Thursday, Feb. 22.
Gutierrez, also known as "Muneca," pleaded guilty May 24 to one count of kidnapping resulting in death, federal court records show. A sentencing date is set for Wednesday, Feb. 28.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man pleads guilty to kidnapping, fatally beating man
