Zuni man sentenced to nine years in prison for assaulting a child in Indian Country

             ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alliah Jawaun Soseeah, 23, of Zuni, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, was sentenced on May 26 in federal court to nine years in prison for two counts of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury of a minor in Indian Country.

            Soseeah pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2020.  In his plea agreement, Soseeah admitted that between Nov. 25 and Nov 29, 2017, at his home on the Zuni Pueblo, he used a thumbtack to cut and puncture the back of the 23-month old victim. Soseeah also admitted that on Nov. 30, 2017, he assaulted the child again by hitting and dropping the victim, causing a serious head injury.

          Upon his release from prison, Soseeah will be subject to three years of supervised release.

          The Gallup Resident Office of the FBI investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas prosecuted the case.