SANTA ANA (CBSA) – Notorious Orange County Mexican mob boss Johnny Martinez pleaded not guilty Monday to possession of an opioid while in the Orange County jail.
Martinez, 45, is charged with one count of possession of an illegal substance while in prison, according to the criminal complaint, which lists the drug as Subutex.
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In August, Martinez won a motion to dismiss charges of murder, conspiracy, attempted robbery, burglary and involvement in a criminal street gang, as well as allegations of special circumstances of murder during a robbery and sentencing improvements for gang activity.
Martinez was charged with four other men on January 19, 2017, in the murder of Robert Rios, 35, in Placentia, in what prosecutors said was a Mexican mob-led attack over a dispute over payment of “taxes” on drug trafficking.
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A co-defendant, Augustine Velazquez, is awaiting sentencing.
Martinez has a pending motion to have his 1994 second-degree murder conviction overturned based on a new law that dismisses murder charges for defendants who are not actively involved in aiding and abetting murder.
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Martinez is also charged with the August 2017 attempted murder in Placentia of his co-defendant Gregory Munoz, who by that time had been released from prison. He is awaiting trial in this case.
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