Illegal immigrant sentenced to 20 years for killing restaurant owner in Nashville
Ulises Raigoza-Martínez, a Mexican citizen who entered the United States illegally in 2021, pleaded guilty to murder, robbery and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of businessman Matthew Carney. Immigration authorities have already issued a detention order to begin his deportation proceedings once he is released from prison.
Badge of an immigration agent
An undocumented immigrant from Mexico was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of Matthew Carney, owner of the Smokin' Thighs restaurant, in Nashville, Tenn., in a case that has once again brought attention to illegal immigration and cooperation between state and federal authorities on immigration matters.
Ulises Raigoza-Martínez pleaded guilty on July 22 to the crimes of murder, theft of property valued at over $10,000, tampering with evidence and an additional charge of theft. Following the sentencing, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed an immigration detainer so that the convicted man can be turned over to federal authorities once he completes his sentence and his deportation proceedings can begin.
Crime occurred during robbery
According to the police investigation, the incident took place on June 19, 2024, in the parking lot of the Smokin' Thighs restaurant.
Authorities allege that Raigoza-Martínez was walking through the parking lot when he stopped next to Matthew Carney's pickup truck to steal tools. Upon noticing the theft, the business owner left the establishment to confront him.
At that moment, the defendant accelerated the vehicle to escape, struck Carney, and dragged him along the hood before the victim was thrown from the vehicle as it turned. Carney suffered extremely serious injuries and died days later, on July 4, 2024, at a Nashville hospital.
The Nashville Police Department arrested Raigoza-Martínez on July 18, 2024, less than a month after the attack.
DHS: "He should never have been in our country"
After the sentence was announced, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that ICE filed a detention order to prevent the convicted man from being released upon completing his sentence without first being transferred to immigration custody.
DHS Deputy Secretary Lauren Bis stated:
"This criminal illegal alien pleaded guilty to murder, theft, and tampering with evidence after he ran over and killed Matt Carney in Nashville, Tennessee. ... This criminal illegal alien should NEVER have been in our country to commit this heinous murder. We will work with our state and local partners in Tennessee to ensure that he is handed over to ICE custody once his sentence is complete, so that we can remove him from our country."
DHS also noted that Raigoza-Martínez claimed to have entered the United States illegally across the Texas border in 2021, during the Biden administration.
ICE will seek his deportation
Davidson County jail records show that Raigoza-Martínez remains under ICE detention, which prevents his release without coordination with federal immigration authorities.
The legacy of Matthew Carney
Matthew Carney, 42, was the owner of the Smokin' Thighs restaurant and was widely known in the Nashville community.
His obituary describes him as a person with a "joyful spirit," a "loud laugh," and a personality that lit up any gathering. "His friends knew him as the life of the party, with his positive attitude, jokes and loyalty to those he loved," the obituary notes.
Carney is survived by his wife, Molly, as well as his parents, siblings, grandmother, and several nieces and nephews, who continue to mourn his loss
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