Wife of OC Mexican Mafia boss sentenced in racketeering case

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - The wife of a reputed Mexican Mafia boss received a 57-month federal prison sentence Thursday for her role in an Orange County Mexican Mafia racketeering conspiracy involving drug distribution and extortion.

What we know:

Brenda Vanessa Campos Martinez, the wife of reputed gang chief Johnny Martinez, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. During her time with the organization, she allegedly acted as a "secretary" and bookkeeper. 

Prosecutors detailed how she maintained calendar planners and ledgers that tracked extortion collections, payment receipts for jail accounts, and lists of street gangs under the Mexican Mafia’s control. 

When law enforcement raided her home in 2019, they seized $12,748 in cash—an amount U.S. District Judge Fred W. Slaughter has now ordered forfeited to the government.

What we don't know:

While the defense cited anticipated changes in federal sentencing guidelines that could have qualified Campos Martinez for probation, it is unclear how much weight the judge gave these future adjustments versus the current 71-month recommendation from the prosecution. 

Additionally, the defense noted that Campos Martinez has been "too afraid" to seek a divorce from her husband, leaving her future legal status regarding the marriage uncertain.

What they're saying:

Campos Martinez's attorney, Meghan Blanco, said her client has been "a law-abiding citizen most of her life."

Martinez "took advantage" of his wife's "niceness," Blanco argued.

"She has a history of struggling with low self-esteem," the defense attorney said.

"Unlike every other defendant in this case she extricated herself entirely," Blanco said. "She moved, she cut off her phone and stopped communicating with everyone."

Campos Martinez is "very remorseful," said Blanco, who also argued her client played a "minimal role" in the Mexican Mafia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Staples recommended 71 months in federal prison.

"All I'm hearing is it's not my fault, my husband made me do it," Staples said. "She deliberately decided not to realize what was patently obvious ... It's difficult to accept she is truly remorseful when she points a finger at everyone but herself."

A search of Campos Martinez's residence in 2019 is what prompted her to distance herself from the Mexican Mafia, Staples said.

She was doing work for the Mexican Mafia for a few years, "which included bookkeeping for the Meixcan Mafia." That work involved keeping track of who was under the umbrella of the Mexican Mafia, collecting money from extortion, passing along messages to gang members and managing the books, Staples said.

There are about 200 members of the Mexican Mafia nationwide so her role in the organization was more significant than her attorney argued, Staples said.

"To say that her role was minimal does not equate to what her status was," Staples said.

What's next:

Judge Slaughter has set a self-surrender date of May 15, at which point Campos Martinez will begin her 57-month term.

Once her prison time is completed, she will be required to serve five years of supervised release.