A Navajo man has pleaded guilty to federal assault charges in a New Mexico courtroom.
Gregory Secatero, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty this morning in federal court to assault charges under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Secatero was arrested on February 12, 2015, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and child abuse in Indian Country.
Court documents indicate that on January 17, 2015, Secatero was involved in a car crash that seriously injured two passengers, a female and a child, in Secatero’s vehicle. Both victims were ejected from the vehicle; the female suffered a punctured left lung and seven left rib fractures and the child suffered a small subdural hematoma and left femur spiral fracture. Two other children were in the vehicle, but were not seriously injured. Secatero was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Secatero was subsequently indicted on March 10, 2015, and charged with two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of child abuse for endangering the lives of three children. According to the indictment, Secatero committed the crimes in Indian Country in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
During today’s proceedings, Secatero pled guilty to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. In entering his guilty plea, Secatero admitted assaulting the victims, causing them to sustain serious bodily injuries, by driving under the influence of alcohol.
At sentencing, Secatero faces a maximum sentence of ten years in federal prison followed by up to three years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shammara Henderson.
Related Federal Cases
- Gregory Secatero, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, New Mexico 2015 · New Mexico
- Jason K. Thompson, Assault by Strangulation and Assault with a Deadly Weapon, New Mexico 2025 · Texas
- Preston Marmolejo, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, New Mexico 2013 · New Mexico
- Terrence Fred Cachini, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, New Mexico 2015 · New Mexico
- Henderson Castillo, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm, New Mexico 2015 · Puerto Rico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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