Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Abusive Sexual Contact Charge

ALBUQUERQUE—United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that this afternoon, Damon Largo, 32, a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Whitehorse Lake, New Mexico, entered a guilty plea to abusive sexual contact of a child under 12 years of age. The plea was entered in Albuquerque federal court under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Largo will be sentenced to a 12-month term of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. Largo also will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence. At the conclusion of today’s sentencing, Largo was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Largo was arrested on December 14, 2009 on a two-count indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. According to the indictment, Largo engaged in this unlawful behavior in February 2008 within Indian Country. In entering his plea, Largo admitted that on a date between February 1 and 12, 2008, while he was in the kitchen of his home, he molested a 11-year-old child by putting his hand down her pants and rubbing her genital area. Largo stated that his home is located within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the aggravated sexual abuse charge will be dismissed after Largo is sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni.