3 members of New Mexico prison gang convicted; 1 acquitted

Three members of the Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang have been convicted in a Las Cruces federal court while a fourth defendant has been acquitted of all charges.

After nearly a week of deliberations, jurors on Monday convicted Anthony Ray Baca, Daniel Sanchez and Carlos Herrera of engaging in a criminal racketeering enterprise including committing violent crimes to further the purposes of the gang that formed in the aftermath of a deadly 1980 prison riot in Santa Fe.

Rudy Perez was accused of helping provide the shanks used to kill inmate Javier Molina last year, but was found not guilty of all charges.

Baca was accused of conspiracy to murder two top state corrections department officials, but the plot was foiled when the FBI intercepted a note in 2015.