ALBUQUERQUE - This morning in federal court, Benson Pete, 75, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Gamerco, N.M., was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for making a false statement to the FBI.
Pete was arrested on June 3, 2014, on an indictment charging him two counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. According to the indictment, the crimes were committed between Jan. 1, 2013 and March 31, 2013, within the Navajo Nation in McKinley County, N.M.
On March 30, 2015, Pete pled guilty to an information charging him with making a false statement to a law enforcement agency. In entering the guilty plea, Pete admitted that on July 30, 2013, he provided false information regarding the aggravated sexual abuse of a victim to the FBI. Pete also admitted that he withdrew any claims that he was coerced to make the false statements by an FBI agent, and acknowledged that he voluntarily made the false statements.
This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Raquel Ruiz-Velez.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
