Reputed Mexican Mafia Chief Johnny Martinez Charged With Having A Drug In Jail
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) - Reputed Orange County Mexican Mafia chief Johnny Martinez Monday pleaded not guilty to possessing an opioid while in Orange County Jail.
Martinez, 45, is charged with one count of possession of an illegal substance in jail, according to the criminal complaint, which listed the drug as Subutex.
In August, Martinez won a motion dismissing charges of murder, conspiracy, attempted robbery, burglary and participation in a criminal street gang, along with special circumstances allegations of murder during a robbery and sentencing enhancements for gang activity.
Martinez was charged with four other men in the Jan. 19, 2017, killing of 35-year-old Robert Rios in Placentia in what prosecutors alleged was an attack directed by the Mexican Mafia over a dispute about paying "taxes" on drug dealing.
One co-defendant, Augustine Velazquez, is awaiting sentencing.
Martinez has a motion pending to have his second-degree murder conviction from 1994 thrown out based on a new law that dismisses murder charges for defendants not actively involved in the aiding and abetting of a murder.
Martinez is also charged in connection with the attempted murder in Placentia in August 2017 of his co-defendant Gregory Munoz, who, by that time, had gotten out of prison. He is awaiting trial in that case.