Member of Santo Domingo Pueblo pleads guilty to assault on federal officers

              ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stephen Reano, 22, of Santo Domingo, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of Santo Domingo Pueblo, pleaded guilty on Oct. 30 in federal court to an indictment charging him with two counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

             According to his plea agreement, Reano acknowledged that on June 11 he was carrying a rifle in the village area of Santo Domingo Pueblo. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) patrol officers, responding to calls about an armed individual in the village, located Reano standing near a utility pole beneath a street light. Reano admitted that he pointed his shouldered rifle at one of the officers. Reano then pointed his weapon at the second officer when the officer used the patrol unit’s public address system to order Reano to put down his weapon.

              Reano remains in custody pending sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled.  He faces up to 20 years in prison for the two counts of assault. 

              The Albuquerque office of the FBI and the BIA investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer M. Rozzoni is prosecuting the case.