Rob Begay, Involuntary Manslaughter, New Mexico 2023

Rob Begay, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Twin Lakes, N.M., is headed to federal prison for a drunken driving rampage that ended in death. Yesterday, in Albuquerque federal court, Begay was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to federal involuntary manslaughter.

The crash that sealed his fate occurred on November 28, 2015, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. Begay was operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol when he lost control, resulting in the death of a Navajo woman. Authorities say his blood alcohol level severely impaired his ability to drive, rendering him incapable of clear judgment or steady vehicle operation.

Begay was arrested on December 2, 2015, on a criminal complaint. Just 15 days later, on December 17, 2015, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with involuntary manslaughter. The charge stemmed from the fatal crash, which investigators say was entirely preventable—had Begay not chosen to drive drunk.

On July 26, 2016, Begay admitted his guilt in court. He pleaded guilty to the indictment and acknowledged that his reckless driving while intoxicated directly caused the woman’s death. No plea deal softened the blow—just cold facts: a life lost, a man impaired, and justice delayed but not denied.

The investigation was led by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, a force often overshadowed but relentless in enforcing law on tribal lands. Working in conjunction with federal authorities, they ensured the case was prosecuted under U.S. jurisdiction due to the crime occurring on reservation land.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead handled the prosecution, pushing for accountability in a case that reflects a broader crisis of drunk driving in rural and tribal communities. Begay now faces years behind bars, but for the victim’s family, no sentence brings back what was taken on that dark stretch of reservation road.