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By Kanishka Singh
-A New Mexico jury found a failed Republican candidate for the state House of Representatives guilty on all counts related to a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of Democratic officials in Albuquerque, prosecutors said on Thursday.
Solomon Pena was convicted on 13 felony charges including three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence.
Election conspiracy theories drove Pena to recruit others to shoot at the Albuquerque homes in a bid to wound or kill the Democratic officials in 2022 and 2023, police said.
No one was hurt in the attacks that came at a time of high political polarization and fear of violence in the country.
Pena, described as a "radical right election denier" by officials, had falsely alleged fraud in his defeat in a House race.
Prosecutors had accused him of hiring gunmen for a shooting spree at the homes of the Democratic officials after he visited them to dispute his 2022 election defeat.
Two men who said they were hired by Pena for the attacks pleaded guilty more than a year ago.
Pena faces life in prison. A sentencing date is not yet set.
The officials who were attacked issued a joint statement saying "the verdict serves as a reminder that threats or acts of violence against anyone in this community will not be tolerated."
Pena's lawyer told NBC News that his client was not linked to the shootings and called the verdict a "travesty." The lawyer said Pena had not hired anyone to shoot at the Democrats and said he was wrongly blamed.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Stephen Coates)
