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Defendant Sentenced to 13 Years for Attempted Robbery
Durango, CO – Lovell Cassius Benallie, 27, of Kirtland, New Mexico, was sentenced to 166 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation.
The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
On August 24, 2023, Benallie and an associate traveled from New Mexico to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino. After gambling, Benallie went to the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Travel Center and approached an elderly Navajo man preparing to use the laundry facility.
In an interaction that lasted about eighteen seconds, Benallie said, "give me all your money" and pointed a 9mm gun at the man. When the man replied, "what money" Benallie aimed and fired the gun at the man’s leg.
The victim was airlifted to Grand Junction for medical treatment and suffered serious and enduring injuries.
Benallie had several prior felony convictions, including a conviction for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in Farmington, New Mexico.
Benallie was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher on December 16, 2024.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Durango conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Key Facts
- State: Colorado
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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