ALBUQUERQUE - Kirby Cleveland, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Casamero Lake, N.M., was sentenced this morning to two years in federal prison for his assault conviction. He will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.
Cleveland was arrested in July 2012, based on a criminal complaint and subsequently indicted and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and aggravated burglary. According to the criminal complaint, on May 14, 2012, Cleveland forcefully entered into a residence located on the Navajo Indian Reservation, armed with a baseball bat and assaulted a Navajo woman.
In July 2013, Cleveland pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and admitted assaulting the victim on May 14, 2012, at her family’s home. According to his plea agreement, Cleveland went to the victim’s home looking for individuals who had threatened him earlier in the day.
This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Wishard and Novaline D. Wilson.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
