ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Daniel “Grumpy" Hernandez, 34, of Silver City, New Mexico, was sentenced on July 26 to 20 years in prison.
A federal jury convicted Hernandez on May 6, 2021, for conspiracy to commit carjacking, carjacking, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, theft of a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm, and two additional counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hernandez pleaded guilty on April 29 to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Hernandez cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Hernandez and his co-conspirator, Savannah Padilla, 24, were indicted on Nov. 13, 2019. Padilla pleaded guilty on Feb. 23, 2021, to conspiracy to commit carjacking, carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court records, on Sept. 7, 2018, and continuing to Sept. 8, 2018, Hernandez and Padilla committed a carjacking in Grant County, New Mexico. Hernandez and Padilla demanded money from the victim at gunpoint, and later demanded that the victim get out of the driver’s seat and into the back seat of the vehicle. The victim fled in fear for his life.
Upon his release from prison, Hernandez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Silver City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Armijo and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case.