Lelander Mays, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Red Mesa, Utah, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 37 months for involuntary manslaughter stemming from a deadly drunk-driving crash on tribal land in New Mexico. The sentence, handed down yesterday in Albuquerque federal court, marks the end of a years-long case rooted in tragedy and recklessness.
On December 6, 2016, Mays lost control of his vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, New Mexico. The crash ejected his passenger, a man whose identity has not been publicly released, who died at the scene. Toxicology reports confirmed Mays was impaired at the time of impact—a fact that turned a fatal accident into a federal crime.
Arrested days after the crash, Mays was initially charged via criminal complaint with involuntary manslaughter. The charge was upgraded on December 20, 2016, when a federal grand jury returned an indictment. With no plea deal on the table, Mays entered a guilty plea on June 7, 2017, accepting full responsibility before sentencing was carried out more than five years later.
The case was aggressively pursued by federal prosecutors who emphasized the dangers of impaired driving on tribal lands, where jurisdictional complexities often hinder justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall, who prosecuted the case, called the crash “entirely preventable” and pointed to Mays’ decision to drive drunk as the sole cause of the victim’s death.
Investigation was led by a multi-agency task force including the FBI’s Farmington office, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and the New Mexico State Police. Their joint work ensured that despite jurisdictional hurdles, Mays faced consequences in federal court, which holds authority over major crimes committed on tribal reservations.
Mays will serve 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The case underscores the deadly toll of drunk driving in remote communities and serves as a stark warning: on the reservation, as anywhere else, driving impaired carries a prison sentence.
Related Federal Cases
- Drunk Driver Lelander Mays Admits Deadly Crash · New Mexico
- Chinle Arson-Murder: 30+ Years for Brutal Attack · New Mexico
- Paul Raymond Garcia Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter · New Mexico
- Double Hat Bandit Pleads Guilty · New Mexico
- $113 Million Grant Awarded to Improve Public Safety in Native Communities · New Mexico
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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