Shiprock Man Charged with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon Against a Minor

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Darron Smith appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon against a minor and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Smith, 23, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending a detention hearing set for Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

According to court documents, Smith assaulted John Doe, an individual under the age of 18, with a dangerous weapon, specifically, a knife, and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.

An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Smith faces 10 years up to life imprisonment and up to 5 years of supervised release thereafter.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.

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