Navajo Man Patrick Wadsworth Gets 27 Months for Brutal Assault

Patrick Wadsworth, 47, a resident of Sanostee, N.M. and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison Wednesday for assaulting a woman and inflicting serious bodily injury during a violent attack on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The crime, which left the victim bruised and battered, underscores the persistent crisis of violence against Indigenous women in remote tribal communities.

Wadsworth admitted in court he attacked the woman on Nov. 6, 2014, striking her repeatedly and causing visible bruising to her face, arms, and knees. The assault occurred at his residence in San Juan County, a jurisdiction where federal authorities often step in due to limited tribal prosecutorial powers. He was indicted on Jan. 22, 2016, and entered a guilty plea on June 27, 2016, avoiding a trial but facing full accountability under federal law.

The case, prosecuted in Albuquerque federal court, was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project. This initiative, funded by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women and administered through the Pueblo of Laguna, aims to strengthen prosecutions of violent crimes on tribal lands by training Native prosecutors in federal legal strategy and investigative techniques.

For over two years, Wadsworth remained a free man despite the charges, a delay that highlights the slow gears of federal justice in Indian Country. His eventual sentencing sends a message—but too late for many victims who suffer in silence. Advocates stress that delayed prosecutions often erode trust in law enforcement among tribal members, particularly when violent offenders are not swiftly brought to justice.

Investigation was led by the FBI’s Farmington office, alongside the Farmington Police Department and Shiprock Police Department—agencies that frequently collaborate on cross-jurisdictional crimes in the region. Their combined efforts were critical in building a case that crossed tribal and federal boundaries, where jurisdictional gaps have long hindered accountability.

Wadsworth will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project, born from years of tribal consultations on gender-based violence, continues to expand as federal and tribal leaders push for more consistent prosecutions. For now, this conviction stands as one hard-won victory in a broader, bloodstained battle.