Timothy Luke Perea, Domestic Violence, New Mexico 2013

A Laguna Pueblo man has pleaded guilty to a federal domestic violence charge, according to a recent indictment.

Timothy Luke Perea, 41, a member and resident of Laguna Pueblo, entered his guilty plea on January 4, 2013, under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales and DuWayne W. Honahni, Sr., Special Agent in Charge of District IV of BIA’s Office of Justice Services.

During his plea hearing, Perea admitted assaulting his wife, also a member of Laguna Pueblo, on March 6, 2011. In entering his guilty plea, Perea acknowledged that he had at least two prior convictions for assault against a spouse, household member, intimate partner, or a person with whom he was cohabiting.

Perea was prosecuted federally for the March 6, 2011 assault because he had two prior domestic violence convictions. Court records reflect that Perea was convicted of assault resulting in serious bodily injury on August 29, 1997, in federal court in New Mexico. Perea also was convicted of aggravated battery against a household member on October 20, 1997, in the Second Judicial District Court for the State of New Mexico.

At sentencing, Perea faces a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Perea has been in custody since his arrest on October 17, 2012, and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Southern Pueblos Agency, and the Laguna Pueblo Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Adams.

Perea’s guilty plea is a significant step in addressing the issue of domestic violence in the community. The case serves as a reminder that domestic violence will not be tolerated and that those who commit such crimes will be held accountable.

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