A Shiprock resident, Brian Adam Archuleta, 41, has been charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury following an incident that took place on September 18, 2025. According to court records, Archuleta, who is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was involved in an argument that escalated into a physical altercation. During the dispute, he allegedly struck the victim multiple times in the face. The injuries included a right orbital wall fracture and required ten stitches.
Archuleta will remain under conditions of release while awaiting trial. A date for the trial has not yet been set. If convicted on these charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the charges today.
The case is being investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from both the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting.
“A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
