Espinoza Martinez, a Chicago resident originally from Mexico, has been acquitted of charges related to a murder-for-hire plot targeting Gregory Bovino, a prominent leader within the U.S. Border Patrol. That verdict came in quickly, with jurors deliberating under four hours before bringing back the not guilty verdict.
The case drew national attention for the reliance on Snapchat messages that Espinoza Martinez allegedly sent to his younger brother. Strangely enough, one of those recipients was also a government informant. One particularly egregious solicitation read, “10k if u take him down,” along with a photo of Bovino. These messages were the basis of the prosecution’s case, which claimed there was a conspiracy to murder the federal official.
Espinoza Martinez was looking at a maximum ten-year prison sentence if convicted of the murder-for-hire charge. His legal team claimed prosecution’s mischaracterized the messages in question. They argued that the messages were not explicit threats and didn’t convey any genuine desire to carry out acts of violence. They argued that the government failed to prove through any evidence that he intended to commit the alleged plot. They further argued that there was no evidence he meant to hire a hitman to kill Bovino.
In his defense, Espinoza Martinez indicated that he was befuddled by the counts he was facing. In fairness to him, he claimed the posts were sent impulsively as he was mindlessly scrolling through social media. His attorneys were singing from the same hymn book. Their claim centered on the fact that the substance of the Snapchat communications were playful and not a credible threat.
Espinoza Martinez’s story brings even more layers to the case. As an honest carpenter and devoted family man, he’s been living on the southwest side of Chicago all his life. Recent immigration crackdowns in his neighborhood have made him angry about being born without citizenship. Most infamously, he was a paid federal government informant for over the course of several years, creating even greater challenges on how his character has been depicted.
Even with continuing legal issues, Espinoza Martinez said he only had a couple dollars left in his bank account. This was true when she alleged the accusations. His economic situation further highlighted the disconnect between his alleged intentions and reality, casting doubt on claims that he could afford to hire someone for a violent act.
The prosecution conceded it could not prove motive or what exactly Espinoza Martinez did. This vulnerability became a key weakness for the prosecution throughout the trial. Jurors apparently had doubts that the messages constituted a true threat. They questioned whether Espinoza Martinez had the ability or inclination to commit such a violent act.
“10k if u take him down” – Jason Yonan