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Press Release

Dallas Woman Sentenced to 210 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Violent Kidnapping Attempt

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas

DALLAS — A Dallas, Texas, woman, Melissa Trevino, 23, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 210 months in federal prison for her involvement in an attempted kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

In November 2016, Trevino pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Trevino has been in custody since the time of her arrest in September 2016. Trevino was in the U.S. illegally at the time the offense was committed and will be deported after serving her sentence.

Earlier this month, co-defendant Javier Martinez was sentenced to 480 months in federal prison and Indolfo Martinez, who is Javier Martinez’s father, was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison. In March 2017, co-defendant Jose Cardenas Aguirre was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison and Maria Guadalupe Bello was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.

One remaining defendant charged in the case, Jonathan Benitez, remains a fugitive.

According to documents filed in the case, on July 12, 2016, Trevino, along with Aguirre and Martinez, planned to kidnap another individual because of an unpaid drug debt involving cocaine. During the planned kidnapping, Martinez and Aguirre wore ballistic vests and black camouflage clothing. The kidnapping was unsuccessful, and as Martinez, Aguirre, and Trevino fled the scene, they were engaged in a high-speed chase with officers with the Ennis Police Department. During this pursuit, Martinez, using an AR-156 style rifle, fired numerous shots at a police officer.

 

According to the investigation, Trevino wiped fingerprints off the bullets before they were used and handed Martinez a magazine so that he could reload his weapon while firing at law enforcement.

 

The case was investigated by the Ennis Police Department and the FBI’s Violent Gang Taskforce. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl prosecuted.

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Updated April 27, 2017

Topic
Violent Crime