A man from Cuba, New Mexico, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for a fatal shooting that occurred during a highway chase. Rodgerick Tsosie, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was convicted after he fired into a vehicle on May 16, 2022, resulting in the death of his 14-year-old nephew.
Court documents state that Tsosie was called to intervene in a dispute involving the driver of the vehicle and other family members along New Mexico Highway 197 near Torreon. As Tsosie pulled alongside the vehicle carrying several occupants, he fired one shot toward the driver but instead struck his nephew in the head. Despite immediate medical attention from an off-duty EMT and emergency crews, the teenager died later that evening at a hospital in Santa Fe.
Authorities from multiple agencies responded to the scene. The Navajo Nation Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI all participated in the investigation. Witnesses at the scene identified Tsosie's vehicle and told authorities he was responsible for firing the shot. Tsosie later admitted his actions to law enforcement.
Tsosie pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as well as using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. After serving his sentence, he will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison stated: “I guess I’ll take the fall for it.” Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office joined Ellison in making this announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime Task Force with support from local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted.
