Prosecution Brought as Part of a Federal Initiative to
Address the Epidemic Incidence of Violence against Native Women
ALBUQUERQUE - Everett D. Williams, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Nambe Pueblo, N.M., pleaded guilty this morning to federal assault and child abuse charges. Williams’ 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.
Williams was arrested in March 2013, based on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting his intimate partner with a hammer and causing her to sustain serious bodily injury. In April 2013, Williams was indicted and charged with one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, one count assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of child abuse. According to court filings, Williams assaulted the victim, a Kewa Pueblo woman, and endangered the health of two toddlers on Feb. 23, 2013, in a residence located on Nambe Pueblo.
During today’s plea hearing, Williams entered a guilty plea to all four counts of the indictment and admitted to striking the victim in the head with a hammer and causing her serious bodily injury. The criminal complaint reflects that the victim required surgery to treat a gaping wound on her forehead. Williams also admitted that, while swinging the hammer at the victim, he missed the victim and instead struck a three-year-old child in the back. He further admitted that, while attempting to hit the victim with his fist, he struck a two-year-old child above the eye.
Williams has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. At sentencing, Williams faces a maximum possible penalty of ten years in prison for each of the two assault charges and three years in prison for each of the child abuse charges.
This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Adams. The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, and seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both. The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
