A federal judge sentenced Jose Ramirez, 47, to life in prison and 60 months after a federal jury convicted him on kidnapping charges from 2018 abduction, nearly seven years on the run from law enforcement.
According to court documents and evidence that prosecutors presented at trial in 2018, just weeks after prison officials released him from prison for a felony firearm conviction that stemmed from a high-speed police chase, and while courts supervised him and he wore a GPS ankle monitor, Ramirez formulated a calculated violent kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting his former employer, a 68-year-old business owner who had fired him years before the theft.
Where It All Began
On July 25, 2018, the day before the crime, Ramirez met his co-defendants in Albuquerque and enlisted them in the scheme, which he described as a “revenge” plan against his former boss and “take him for all he had.”
One co-defendant recruited a third participant who acted as a primary enforcer during the attack.
The Crime Unfolding
In the early morning of July 26, Ramirez and his co-defendants traveled to the victim’s residence in Placitas after stealing a vehicle from a family member, cutting off his GPS monitor, and discarding his phone to cover his movements
At around 6 A.M., the defendants ambushed the victim as he exited his home. Ramirez restrained the victim in a chokehold and held a knife to his throat. During the struggle, the defendants pistol-whipped the victim multiple times before subduing him.
The defendants forced the victim into his own Ford Ranger and drove him to a remote location, where they robbed him of cash and a check, bound him, and transported him to a run-down shed in Albuquerque.
Ramirez held the victim captive for approximately 15 hours and beat him additionally. Throughout the captivity, he made multiple ransom calls to the victim’s daughter, demanding $9,600 and directing her to wire money to a bank account in Mexico.
Even though Ramirez discarded his phone to avoid tracks, he used his personal phone to make calls, which investigators traced, and he spoke directly to the victim’s daughter during a recorded call, further revealing himself.
How It Concludes
Ramirez fully revealed the scheme when he failed to provide the necessary banking information required to complete the international wire transfer. After obtaining only $600 from the victim, Ramirez abandoned the ransom attempt.
Later that evening, the victim was released in southwest Albuquerque and walked to a nearby gas station to call for help.
Ramirez attempted to profit further by using a stolen check with his fingerprint, which led to an additional bank fraud conviction for an associate, and he fled to New Mexico, traveled to California, lived under aliases, and continued engaging in criminal activity.
He evaded law enforcement for seven years before being caught in California.
Guilty on Multiple Charges
A federal jury convicted Ramirez on multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap and carjacking; carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to crime of violence, and extortion.
Due to his more than 30 years of criminal conduct, violent and calculated nature of crime, the government requested and the court imposed a sentence to life prison and additional 60 years.
There is no parole in federal system.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement.