Cruz Abeita, a 28-year-old enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his role in the brazen robbery of the Dancing Eagle Travel Center in Cibola County, New Mexico, on December 30, 2016.
According to court documents, Abeita and an accomplice stormed into the travel center, threatening the cashier with what appeared to be a handgun and making off with cash from the register. The daring heist left authorities scrambling to catch the culprits.
Abeita was arrested in February 2017 on a complaint charging him with armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. On October 3, 2017, he pleaded guilty to a felony information charging him with conspiracy and violating the Hobbs Act by robbing a business engaged in interstate commerce.
In entering his guilty plea, Abeita admitted to participating in the robbery of the Dancing Eagle Travel Center with his associate. He acknowledged that they had threatened the cashier with a replica pistol that appeared to be a real firearm.
The case drew the attention of federal authorities, who worked with the Laguna Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to bring Abeita to justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Murphy prosecuted the case.
Abeita will serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence is a result of his conviction on a conspiracy charge and for violating the Hobbs Act. The daring robbery and subsequent sentence serve as a reminder that federal authorities will not hesitate to pursue justice in such cases, no matter how brazen the crime.
The investigation into the robbery was a collaborative effort between the Albuquerque office of the FBI, the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and the Laguna Police Department. Their tireless work led to the conviction and sentencing of Cruz Abeita, bringing closure to the community and a sense of justice to the victims of the robbery.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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