Date: 11-16-2016

Case Style:

Case Number: 1:16-cr-02726-MCA

Judge: M. Christina Armijo

Court: United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (Bernalillo County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: David Adams

Defendant's Attorney: Aric G. Elsenheimer

Description: Albuquerque, NM - Nambe Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Intimate Partner

Defendant Prosecuted as Part of Federal Initiative to Address the Epidemic Incidence of Violence Against Native Women

Anthony Nieto, 29, an enrolled member of Nambe Pueblo who resides in Zuni, N.M., pled guilty to an assault charge. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Nieto will be sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

Nieto was arrested on June 21, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assaulting his intimate partner and causing her to suffer serious bodily injury. According to the indictment, Nieto committed the crime on Aug. 16, 2015, in Nambe Pueblo in Santa Fe County, N.M.

During today’s proceedings, Nieto pled guilty to the indictment and admitted assaulting the victim on Aug. 16, 2015, by striking and kicking her, and causing her to suffer serious bodily injury. More specifically, Nieto admitted that the victim sustained bruising on her face, arms and lower extremities as a result of the assault.

Nieto has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the FBI office in Santa Fe and the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services.

This case was brought as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

Outcome: Guilty

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