Navajo man sentenced to 15 years in prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lyle Woody Begay, 35, of Navajo, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced on Oct. 25 in federal court to 15 years in prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country.

            Begay pleaded guilty to the offense on Oct. 9, 2020. In his plea agreement, Begay admitted that for more than a seven-year period he engaged in intentional and unlawful sexual contact with a female minor under the age of twelve with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, arouse or gratify sexual desire. Begay committed the crime at the victim’s home in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.

            Upon his release from prison, Begay will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

            The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback prosecuted the case.