Navajo Woman Convicted of Lying to Federal Law Enforcement Officers

PHOENIX—Melissa Delmar, 34, of Page, Ariz. was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2012, by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell for the felony offense of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers. Delmar pleaded guilty to the charge on Nov. 30, 2011. Delmar was sentenced to seven months in prison, which she had already served at the time of sentencing. She was sentenced to an additional three years of supervised release.

According to Delmar’s plea agreement, on July 14, 2011, Delmar falsely asserted to law enforcement that her husband, Freddie Haskie, was not present on her property and that she had not seen him for seven weeks. At the time she made the statement, Delmar knew about an active warrant for her husband’s arrest. Delmar’s statement was untrue because she knew Haskie had been present immediately prior to her conversation with the law enforcement agents. Delmar made the false statements in an attempt to influence law enforcement agents not to search the area and, thus, to allow Haskie to escape. Delmar’s statements gave Haskie time to flee and required the agents to chase Haskie for four miles.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Navajo Department of Public Safety, and Navajo Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Camille Bibles and Heather H. Belt, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER: CR11-8160-PCT-DGC

RELEASE NUMBER: 2012-036(Delmar)