Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sexual Abuse Offense
| U.S. Attorney’s Office July 11, 2011 |
ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, Linden Troy Qualo, 27, pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Qualo will be sentenced to not less than 30 months nor more than 37 months of imprisonment to be followed by at least five years of supervised release. Qualo also will be required to register as a sex offender after completing his prison sentence. Qualo, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, has been in federal custody since his arrest on January 11, 2011, and remains detained in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Qualo pleaded guilty to an indictment that charged him with sexually violating a child under the age of 16 years in January 2010, on the Pueblo of Zuni. In his plea agreement, Qualo admitted that on January 30, 2010, he engaged in a sexual act with a female child who was 13 years old. Specifically, Qualo admitted performing oral sex on the child.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pueblo of Zuni Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shana B. Long.