Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Man Sentenced for Sexual Assault

Peter Calvert-Cata, a 21-year-old member and resident of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to a felony information charging him with sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Calvert-Cata sexually assaulted a 17-year-old female on August 13, 2016, in Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. The victim was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the assault.

Calvert-Cata was arrested on November 18, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. He subsequently entered a guilty plea on March 6, 2017.

The case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI, the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, the Ohkay Owingeh Tribal Police Department, and the New Mexico State Police.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy B. Solimon prosecuted the case as part of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which aims to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure, and investigative techniques.

The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native American women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.

Calvert-Cata will also be required to register as a sex offender as part of his sentence.