Shiprock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Thomas Navaho, 21, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., was sentenced yesterday afternoon to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for his assault conviction.

Navaho was arrested on March 4, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault, then was subsequently charged in a two-count indictment with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.  According to court filings, Navaho assaulted the victim, another Navajo man, on Feb. 22, 2014, at a location within the Navajo Indian Reservation. 

On July 14, 2014, Navaho entered a guilty plea to Count 1 of the indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  Navaho admitted that on Feb. 22, 2014, he initiated the assault by choking the victim while he was asleep.  Navaho continued his assault on the victim during a physical altercation, during which the victim sustained injuries requiring medical attention.

This case was investigated by the Farmington Office of the FBI and the Shiprock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul H. Spiers.