FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS FUGITIVE IN 2018 KIDNAPPING AND CARJACKING AFTER SEVEN YEARS ON THE RUN

A federal jury in Albuquerque has convicted Jose Ramirez for his role in a violent 2018 kidnapping and carjacking that left a former employer beaten, bound, and held captive for ransom, closing a case that remained unresolved for more than seven years while the defendant evaded capture.

Following a five-day trial and roughly three hours of deliberation, jurors found Ramirez guilty on all counts tied to the July 26, 2018 attack in Placitas, New Mexico. Ramirez, now 37, had remained a fugitive for years after the crime before his eventual arrest in California, where he was taken into custody on unrelated drug possession charges and returned to New Mexico to face federal prosecution.

According to evidence presented at trial, the crime was premeditated and retaliatory. Court records show that Ramirez met with co-defendants in Albuquerque the day before the attack, recruiting them to help carry out a plan to retaliate against his former employer after being fired. During that meeting, Ramirez allegedly stated his intent to “get back at his boss” and “take his boss for all he had,” framing the operation as both personal revenge and a financial crime.

At the time, Ramirez was under active court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet. Prosecutors established that, in the hours leading up to the kidnapping, Ramirez deliberately cut off the monitoring device, signaling both intent and an effort to evade detection.

In the early morning hours of July 26, Ramirez and a co-defendant ambushed the victim as he exited his home in Placitas. Trial testimony detailed how Ramirez placed the victim in a headlock, held a knife to his throat, and assisted as his co-defendant pistol-whipped the victim repeatedly in the face. The victim was then bound, forced into the bed of his own Ford Ranger pickup truck, and transported against his will to a remote compound on Pajarito Mesa.

There, the victim was held captive inside a shed for approximately 15 hours. During that time, Ramirez attempted to extort ransom payments from the victim’s family, demanding money and attempting to force wire transfers to Mexico. Prosecutors emphasized that the victim was kept under constant threat of violence while the extortion efforts were underway.

Later that evening, the victim was released in southwest Albuquerque. Injured and disoriented, he walked to a nearby gas station and asked the clerk to call 911, triggering the initial law enforcement response. Despite early investigative efforts, Ramirez fled the area and successfully avoided capture for years.

The case remained open until Ramirez was located and arrested in California, bringing an end to his years as a fugitive and allowing federal authorities to move forward with prosecution.

The jury convicted Ramirez of conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit carjacking, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion. Following the verdict, the court ordered Ramirez to remain in federal custody pending sentencing.

At sentencing, Ramirez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with potential exposure up to life imprisonment based on the severity of the offenses and the firearm-related conviction. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, and the New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole Division. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Sarah Mease.

TRJ NOTE
This conviction underscores how violent, retaliatory crimes tied to personal grievances can escalate into prolonged, multi-jurisdictional investigations when offenders attempt to evade accountability. The case also highlights the role of federal charges in addressing kidnapping and extortion schemes that cross state lines or involve ransom demands, even years after the initial offense.

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