Tohajiilee Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Federal Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE—This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, Jordan Benjamin Apachito, 20, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for his conviction on assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury charges. Apachito, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Tohajiilee, New Mexico, will serve three years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

Apachito initially was arrested on June 27, 2011, based on a criminal complaint alleging assault charges. Thereafter, on September 14, 2011, Apachito was charged in a superseding indictment with assault with a dangerous weapon, using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Apachito pleaded guilty to counts one and three of the superseding indictment on March 8, 2012 under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. During his plea hearing, Apachito admitted to shooting the victim, a 22-year-old Navajo man, in the stomach with a 12-gauge shotgun while the two men were at Apachito’s residence on June 24, 2011. Apachito also admitted that he shot the victim intentionally from just a few feet away and that it caused the victim to suffer permanent and life-threatening injuries.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, count two of the superseding indictment was dismissed after Apachito was sentenced.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark T. Baker.