A 28-year-old man from Nenahnezad, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge.
Gregory Bitsilly, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arrested in March 2014 on a criminal complaint charging him with arson. He was indicted on that same charge in April 2014.
According to court filings, Bitsilly set fire to the residence he shared with his wife and children on March 24, 2014, because his wife was attempting to leave him for being physically abusive.
The residence and its contents were a total loss.
During today’s proceedings, Bitsilly admitted willfully and maliciously setting fire to the home he resided in with his wife and children on March 24, 2014.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bitsilly will be sentenced to a federal prison term within the range of 24 to 40 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Bitsilly 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 Farmington office of the FBI and the Shiprock Division of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams.
The case was brought pursuant to 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.
Related Federal Cases
- Gregory Secatero, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, New Mexico 2015 · New Mexico
- Theodore George Torres, Arson, New Mexico 2016 · North Carolina
- Brian Dyea, Arson of Occupied Dwelling, New Mexico 2016 · New Mexico
- Ulrick Bruce Canyon, Residence Arson, New Mexico 2024 · Arkansas
- Alberto Toddy, Murder and Arson, Arizona 2020 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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