A Shiprock man admitted in federal court Monday to a savage beating that left a woman with a shattered eye socket and lasting disfigurement. Ryan Franklin, 30, pleaded guilty to assault in Indian Country resulting in serious bodily injury, capping a four-year investigation into the August 25, 2018, attack.
According to court documents, Franklin launched a brutal assault on the victim within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, N.M. He admitted to striking her repeatedly in the face with his fists, delivering blows so forceful they fractured her orbital socket and caused extreme, sustained pain. The injuries continue to require medical treatment.
Franklin, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, committed the crime in Indian Country, placing the case under federal jurisdiction. The assault triggered a multi-agency probe led by the FBI, with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Navajo Police Department, highlighting the tangled web of law enforcement responsibilities on tribal lands.
The victim, whose identity remains protected, endured not only physical trauma but ongoing emotional and medical consequences. Prosecutors described the attack as unprovoked and vicious, underscoring the severity that led to federal charges rather than state prosecution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa C. Dimas, who is handling the case, emphasized that crimes of violence against women in tribal communities will be met with full federal force. “This guilty plea delivers accountability,” she said in a statement. “But it doesn’t erase the lasting harm done.”
Franklin remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing. He faces up to 10 years in prison. The court has yet to set a date for the final disposition of the case.
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Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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