Zuni man sentenced to 10 years in prison for assault and firearms offenses

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Martin Eriacho was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Eriacho, 52, of Zuni, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, pleaded guilty on Sept. 7 to assault with a dangerous weapon and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Just after midnight on Jan. 9, 2021, Eriacho drove to a residential area on the Zuni Reservation. From inside his car, Eriacho discharged a firearm twice, drawing attention from nearby residents. Several residents began to investigate the gunshots, including the victim, identified as John Doe. As he walked outside his residence, John Doe saw Eriacho, who he did not know, in a gray vehicle. When John Doe was about twenty feet away from Eriacho, Eriacho fired two more shots, one of which struck Doe in the arm, causing several fractures that required surgery.

Upon his release from prison, Eriacho 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 Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Spindle and Zachary Jones prosecuted the case.

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