A jury convicted Raymond Daniel Macias of kidnapping a man for extortion with the special allegations of causing substantial injury, using a gun, and committing the crime for gang purposes.
The Sept. 22 conviction came at the end of a retrial of Macias’ case, according to a press release from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. In June, a jury convicted Macias of torture with the special allegations of using a gun and being in a gang, as well as for dealing methamphetamine. However, the June jury was hung over the kidnapping and extortion charges, so prosecutors retried that portion of the case.
Prosecutor Ann Bramsen told the Sun she wanted a conviction that would make Macias ineligible for parole. Had he gone to prison on the torture conviction alone, she said he would’ve been sentenced to 23 years to life, and he would have been eligible for parole in 23 years—possibly less.
“Life in prison no longer means life in prison,” Bramsen said.
She went on to explain that the retrial conviction draws a sentence that would make Macias ineligible for parole. Macias’ sentencing is scheduled to take place Nov. 5 in Santa Maria.
This article appears in Oct 2-9, 2014.
