ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Roland Yazzie, 47, of Manuelito, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced in federal court today to 15 years and eight months in prison for abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Yazzie pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2021.
In his plea agreement, Yazzie admitted that between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2019, he engaged in sexual contact with a child, identified in court records as Jane Doe. At time of the abuse, the victim was between seven and nine years old. The abuse occurred at the home of the victim’s mother in McKinley County, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation.
Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Elisa Dimas prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
