A man from Sanostee, New Mexico is facing criminal charges after he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman.
According to the indictment, between Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, 2023, Nathan Mescale made a woman engage in a sexual act by using force.
Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced on Jan. 30 that 34-year-old Mescale, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with aggravated sexual abuse. Mescale will remain in custody pending trial.
An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Mescale faces up to life in prison.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mia Ulibarri-Rubin is prosecuting the case.
