Pascua Yaqui Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse with the Use of Force

TUCSON, AZ—On May 29, 2012, Leandro Jesus Flores, 22, of Tucson, but living on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Frank R. Zapata. Following his term of imprisonment, Flores will be on supervised release for five years and must register as a sex offender. Flores pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse with the use of force on June 22, 2011.

The sentence stems from an incident that occurred on October 31, 2009, when Flores became enraged with the victim over an argument. Flores began to suffocate the victim to gain control, then forcibly sexually abused the victim. Before the victim was able to break free to call 911, Flores punched her repeatedly in the face and head with his fists.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.