A Shiprock man was sentenced on July 28 to 20 years in prison for a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim.
According to court documents, Darrin Begay, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim on or about June 30, 2025. The assault involved punching, kicking, and strangling the victim, which caused visible injuries to their face, neck, and arms. On July 2, 2025, Begay went to the victim’s home, threatened harm against the victim’s family members, and forced the victim into a vehicle. He then drove away with the victim before reportedly assaulting them again and pushing them out of the vehicle onto the roadside.
Begay pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and kidnapping. He was sentenced on July 28 to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made this announcement. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Nicholas Marshall are prosecuting.