ALBUQUERQUE—Allen Norton, 45, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Ramah, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a voluntary manslaughter charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Norton will be sentenced to 78 months in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Norton was arrested on April 27, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with killing a man on April 25, 2015, by stabbing him. The crime occurred at the victim’s residence on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. Norton was subsequently indicted on May 12, 2015, on the same charge.

During today’s proceedings, Norton pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim by stabbing him with a knife. Norton has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Ramah Navajo Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case.