A Crownpoint resident, Joey Martin, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison following a fatal car accident involving alcohol and prescription opioids. The sentencing was announced by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison.
Court records show that on July 3, 2024, Martin, age 56 and a member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on State Highway 371 in Crownpoint, New Mexico. While attempting to avoid a semitruck, he lost control of his vehicle. The crash resulted in the death of his passenger. Martin later admitted to taking opioid pain medication an hour or two before the incident.
Martin pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Following his prison term, he will be placed under supervised release for three years. Federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.
"There is no parole in the federal system."
