Navajo Nation Men Sentenced for Robbery in Indian Country

On April 18, 2019, a convenience store in Vanderwagon, New Mexico, was robbed by three men, including Julian Silversmith, a member of the Navajo Nation.

According to court records, the men, including co-defendants Aurelius Eddie, 20, and Kevin Marquez, 22, entered the store, waving firearms and firing a round into the ceiling. They stole alcohol from the refrigerators and behind the counter while one of the men pointed a firearm at the clerk.

The crimes were committed on the Navajo Nation, where Silversmith and Eddie will be subject to three years of supervised release upon their release from prison.

Silversmith, 44, of Jones Ranch, New Mexico, was sentenced on January 28 to nine years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in Indian Country.

Aurelius Eddie, also of Vanderwagen, New Mexico, was sentenced on January 28 to twelve years in prison for one count of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country.

The case was investigated by the FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department and Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Spindle and Frederick Mendenhall prosecuted the case.

The crimes were committed on April 18, 2019, and the men were sentenced on January 28.

Upon release from prison, Silversmith and Eddie will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Julian Silversmith pleaded guilty on August 12, 2019, while Aurelius Eddie pleaded guilty on September 19, 2019.

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