A Mescalero man was sentenced on July 14 to 30 months in prison for assaulting and strangling a victim, resulting in serious injuries.
According to court documents, Philman Sam Pike, 25, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted the victim on March 13, 2025. The incident involved punching, strangling, and suffocating the victim until they lost consciousness and experienced extreme physical pain.
Pike pleaded guilty to assault by strangling. After completing his prison sentence, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement regarding the sentencing. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting Pike.