Zuni Pueblo Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Federal Child Sex Abuse Conviction
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 11, 2011 |
ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, Alphonso Chavez, a 48-year-old member of the Pueblo of Zuni, was sentenced to a 10-year term of imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction for sexually abusing a child under the age of 16. Chavez will have to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Chavez was indicted on child sex abuse charges on January 12, 2011, and was arrested on January 19, 2011. Chavez has been in federal custody since that time.
On May 13, 2011, Chavez pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child under the age of 16. In entering his guilty plea, Chavez admitted that, between March 1, 2008 and May 27, 2008, he sexually assaulted a child under the age of 16 by touching her genitalia. Chavez further acknowledged that the sexual assault took place within the Pueblo of Zuni.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Pueblo of Zuni Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni.