Navajo man sentenced to one and a half years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Blaine Morgan, 36, of Crownpoint, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced in federal court on Sept. 24 to one year and six months in prison for involuntary manslaughter in Indian Country.

            Morgan pleaded guilty on May 25. In his plea agreement, Morgan admitted that on March 29, 2020, he was at a gathering where he and John Doe consumed alcohol. A dispute between the two escalated into a physical fight, during which Morgan stabbed John Doe. John Doe later died from the injuries inflicted by Morgan. The incident took place in Church Rock, New Mexico, on Navajo Nation.

            Upon his release from prison, Morgan will be subject to three years of supervised release.

            The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department. The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.