Previously convicted man from Shiprock sentenced to eight months for escaping custody

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Thomas Navaho, 29, of Shiprock New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced to eight months in prison. Navaho pleaded guilty on June 13 to escape from custody.

On March 28, 2019, Navaho was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for assaulting a man on the Navajo Nation. On Oct. 20, 2021, Navaho was placed at the Dismas Charities Diersen Residential Reentry Center (Diersen RRC) in Albuquerque to serve the last six months of his custodial sentence.

In his plea agreement, Navaho admitted that on March 15, he packed his belongings and left Diersen RRC without permission. U.S. Marshals arrested Navaho on April 1.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall prosecuted the case.

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