A 40-year-old man from Tsayatoh, New Mexico, has been charged with a federal firearms violation that puts the community at risk.
Rumaldo Peshlakai, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court on January 1, 2024 for a preliminary hearing on a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will remain in custody pending trial.
According to a criminal complaint, on September 23, 2023, Peshlakai and Jane Doe allegedly were involved in a domestic dispute at a residence in Tsayatoh. Peshlakai allegedly left the residence with their four children. At the time of the incident, Peshlakai allegedly was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The children, who were unharmed, were recovered by law enforcement. Peshlakai was arrested on September 24, 2023.
Peshlakai was convicted in 2001 of assault by striking, beating or wounding and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and in 2006 for being a felon in possession of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Peshlakai cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Peshlakai faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office and the Navajo Police Department investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Phoenix Field Office, New Mexico State Police, Navajo Police Department, McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Aliberti is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Felon’s Gun Grip: 27-Year-Old Alshekhly Charged with Firearm Possession · Alabama
- Andre Kase Jr, Possession of Stolen Firearm, Cedar Rapids IA, 2013 · Iowa
- Juan Carlos Hernandez, Assaulting an FBI Agent with a Firearm, Mesa… · Arizona
- Darrel Salazar, Brandishing Firearm, Albuquerque NM, 2023 · New Mexico
- Roman I Trujillo, Home Invasion, New Mexico 2015 · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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