LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A southwestern New Mexico man faces nine years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Las Cruces to crimes stemming from a 2019 attempt to arrange a murder-for-hire.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says 30-year-old Jacob Grijalva of Silver City pleaded guilty Wednesday to using a cellphone to try to arrange a killing and to obstruction of justice.
The office says Grijalva wanted to avoid prosecution for a weapons offense and has now admitted he called a person whom he mistakenly thought was a hitman. The person called by Grijalva was actually an undercover federal agent.
The office says Grijalva's plea agreement calls for him to be sentenced to nine years in prison.