Jonathan Peterson has been sentenced to an additional 42.75 years in prison for a gang-related murder and other related crimes. Peterson pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder, a Class One Felony; and one count of Participating in a Criminal Street Gang, a Class Two Felony.
In October 2017, while serving a 24-year sentence for gang-related offenses, Peterson used a smuggled cell phone to orchestrate the execution-style murder of law enforcement informant Juan Raygoza. Peterson colluded with accomplices outside the prison to lure Raygoza to the place where he was ultimately killed.
Following Raygoza’s murder, two of the accomplices in the plot were also methodically executed, and yet another was targeted in an attempted murder. Investigators used extensive cell phone analysis, accomplice statements, recorded jail and prison calls, and ballistics evidence to build the case.
“This defendant murdered an individual for cooperating with law enforcement—an act that was meant to intimidate and silence others,” said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “No matter how clever criminals believe they are, this conviction sends a clear message—we will track them down and hold them accountable, no matter where they are.”
The Chandler Police Department led a multi-agency investigation into these crimes, as well as a series of armed bank robberies, drug trafficking, extortion operations, and other gang-related activities, all from the same prison gang group.