ALBUQUERQUE — Lyle Ryan Begaye, 44, of Tohlakai, N.M., an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation of Fort Defiance, Ariz., was sentenced June 2 in federal court to three years and 10 months in prison for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.
Begaye pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2020.
In his plea agreement, Begaye admitted to assaulting the victim on June 1, 2020, in Bernalillo County.
In the agreement it stated that Begaye became jealous and struck the victim with his fist approximately 30 times on multiple parts of her body — once for each letter in the first and last names of three men with whom he believed she was being unfaithful.
Begaye then physically prevented the victim from leaving the residence where the beating took place. The victim was allowed to seek medical treatment only after assuring Begaye that she would not contact law enforcement.
Begaye’s assault caused serious injuries, including fractures to the victim’s spine, broken ribs, extreme pain and hemorrhaging.
Emphasizing Begaye’s prior criminal history as a “serial terrorizer of women,” the court ordered Begaye to serve 200 hours of community service, which the court wanted applied to battered women’s shelters.
When he completes his prison term, Begaye will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti prosecuted the case.
