Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Assault Offense

ALBUQUERQUE—On June 14, 2011 in federal court in Albuquerque, Matthew Archie Johnson, a 25-year-old resident of Shiprock, New Mexico, entered a guilty plea to an assault resulting in serious bodily injury offense under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. At sentencing, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Johnson, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, has been in federal custody since his arrest on September 22, 2010, and will remain detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Johnson was arrested after he failed to stop at a stop sign and crashed into another vehicle, causing serious injury to the driver, in Fruitland, New Mexico on September 17, 2010. Johnson was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Johnson began drinking alcoholic beverages at approximately 9:30 a.m. on September 17, 2010, and continued drinking until the time of the crash, which occurred late that afternoon. The complaint alleges that, after the crash, Johnson’s blood alcohol content was .225. Shortly after the crash, Johnson allegedly told an officer of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety that he was speeding when he ran the stop sign and crashed into his victim’s vehicle; he also acknowledged that he was intoxicated at the time of the crash. The victim of Johnson’s assault sustained multiple injuries, including a scrape on her left cheek, lacerations on her left forearm, cuts and swelling to her left hand, and tenderness and bruising to her neck, back, right knee, and sides.

The case was investigated by the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, Shiprock Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Presiliano Torrez.