Navajo man charged with murder in Indian Country

             ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Jameson Begaye, 41, of Shiprock, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance on March 12 in federal court, charged with murder committed in Indian Country. Begaye will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 16.

According to a criminal complaint, on March 7, Begaye allegedly shot and killed a victim, identified in court records as John Doe, following an altercation at a residence near Shiprock on the Navajo Nation. On March 8, investigators located Begaye, who was arrested after a law enforcement pursuit. During the pursuit, Begaye allegedly threw a handgun from his vehicle.  Investigators later retrieved the handgun and found a rifle and unspent rounds of ammunition inside the vehicle.

            A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Begaye faces up to life in prison.

            The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case.