Navajo Man from Colorado Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Abuse Charge in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – Staffred Kai Begay, 42, of Durango, Colo., pleaded guilty today to a federal child abuse charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Begay was arrested on Aug. 12, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with child abuse.  According to the criminal complaint, on Aug. 7, 2014, a Navajo Indian juvenile (victim) called the authorities to report that Begay was assaulting the victim’s mother at a residence located on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M.  Officers of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety responded to the call, but found no one at the residence.  The officers responded to a second call in the early morning hours of Aug. 8, 2014, and learned that Begay struck the victim with an axe and broke the victim’s arm. 

Today Begay pled guilty to an indictment charging him with abuse of a child resulting in serious bodily injury.  In entering the guilty plea, Begay admitted that on Aug. 7, 2014, he put a child in a situation that endangered the child’s life and resulted in serious bodily injury to the child.

At sentencing, Begay faces a statutory maximum penalty of three years in prison.  His sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Farmington office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.