New Mexico Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter Related to Drunk Driving

     PHOENIX – On August 20, 2018, Christopher Cortines, 26, of Santa Fe, N.M. and a member of the San Idelfonso Pueblo Tribe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.  Cortines had previously pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter.

     Cortines, who was driving his vehicle within the confines of the Navajo Nation near Dennehotso, Ariz., with a BAC level of between .118 and .151, caused his vehicle to crash, killing his sole passenger, his friend and a member of the Navajo Nation.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Navajo Nation Department of Law Enforcement, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  The prosecution was handled by Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-17-8316-PCT-JJT

RELEASE NUMBER:    2018-112_ Cortines

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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