Man gets 15 years in fatal shooting
Body of the victim was found in a NE Albuquerque cul-de-sac
An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for fatally shooting a man during a “drug deal that went horribly wrong,” according to his attorney.
Dakota Cook, 25, pleaded guilty before 2nd Judicial District Judge Cindy Leos to second-degree murder and armed robbery.
Under the terms of his plea deal, he will serve the sentences for those crimes concurrently and, upon completion of his sentence, he must spend two years on parole.
Prosecutor Lisa Vigil-Roybal said that Cook and his co-defendant met with 49-year-old Larry Sanchez in June 2016 and a fight broke out. At some point, Cook shot Sanchez, took something from him, and threw him out of the vehicle. He was found dead in a northeast Albuquerque cul-de-sac.
Cook’s attorney Erik Tranberg said Sanchez and Cook struggled in the car over a half-pound of meth. He said his client opted to take a plea after the state gave a “sweetheart deal” to his co-defendant, Antoinette Martinez.
Martinez, 42, who was initially charged with murder, pleaded guilty to charges including meth trafficking and conspiracy. She agreed to testify against Cook and was sentenced to five years of probation, according to court documents.