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Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic Assault
Fabian Tsethlikai, a 46-year-old resident of Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to domestic assault by a habitual offender charge in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Tsethlikai will be sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
Tsethlikai was arrested on February 10, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assault of an intimate partner by a habitual offender. The indictment alleged that Tsethlikai committed the offense on December 10, 2014, on Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County, New Mexico.
Tsethlikai was charged as a habitual offender based on his two prior domestic violence convictions in Zuni Pueblo Tribal Court. Zuni Pueblo Tribal Court records reflect that Tsethlikai’s prior convictions occurred in 2010 and 2011.
During the proceedings, Tsethlikai pleaded guilty to the indictment and admitted that on December 10, 2014, he assaulted the victim, his intimate partner, by repeatedly striking her in the face with his fist. He also acknowledged his two prior tribal court convictions.
Tsethlikai was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after entering his guilty plea and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The case was investigated by the Zuni Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Adams pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project, sponsored by the Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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