Héctor Javier Martínez Maldonado (born September 1, 1968) is a Puerto Rican

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 attorney

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 who served as a state senator of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

, an unincorporated territory of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Martínez was convicted of bribery by a federal jury on March 8, 2011. He resigned his seat on March 12, 2011.

Education

Martínez received his undergrad degree in Criminal Justice from Puerto Rico's Sacred Heart University. He later received his juris doctor degree from the Interamerican University School of Law.
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Political career

Martínez was elected state senator for the District of Carolina in November 2004. Thereafter he was named chair of the Senate's Public Safety Commission. He was reelected in 2008.

Legal troubles

Martínez has been supported throughout his indictment, trial, and conviction by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz

Thomas Rivera Schatz

Thomas "Tommy" Rivera Schätz is a Puerto Rican politician currently serving as the fourteenth President of the Senate of Puerto Rico. He is affiliated with the pro-statehood New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico and the United States Republican Party...

, Mayor of Canovanas Jose Chemo Soto

Jose Chemo Soto

José Ramón Soto Rivera —better known as Chemo Soto— is the mayor of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico and a member of the New Progressive Party. One of his daughters, Lornna Soto, is a Senator of Puerto Rico.- References :...

, fellow Carolina senator Lornna Soto

Lornna Soto

Lornna J. Soto Villanueva is a Puerto Rican politician affiliated with the New Progressive Party . She was elected Senator for the district of Carolina in the 2004 general election along with Senator Roger J. Iglesias....

, and representative Eric Correa.

Martínez was previously connected to purported Puerto Rican drug dealer Jose Lopez Rosario

Jose Lopez Rosario

Jose "Coquito" Lopez Rosario was a Puerto Rican who is alleged to have been a drug dealer. Lopez Rosario's death caused a political scandal in Puerto Rico.-Biography:Lopez Rosario grew up in Carolina, Puerto Rico...

, aka Coquito, whose murder in 2006 drew Martínez into a political scandal. Also being looked at are senator Lornna Soto and former senator Epifanio (Epi) Jiménez. All three legislators from the district of Carolina were acquainted with Coquito and Martínez was instrumental in obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon for López Rosario. The investigation into the legislators' ties to the drug kingpin were cut short when López Rosario was shot and killed by members of a rival gang.