PHOENIX – On Dec. 18, Marvin Benally, 47, of Leupp, Ariz., and a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 264 months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release and sex offender conditions. Benally had previously pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact of a child.

The case involved Benally repeatedly sexually abusing a child, who was between the ages of 11 and 12 at the time and also a member of the Navajo Nation.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department.  The prosecution was handled by Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona...

When Gallup Police Department Officer Timothy Hughte arrived at the 400 block of South 5th Street on a call Dec. 11, he did not know if the female victim he coming to assist was alive or dead.

The victim’s mother met with officers as they arrived on the scene. It was 12:18 am. She informed Hughte that she had found her daughter and located her pulse.

The victim, who is in her early 20s, was sitting on the floor inside the residence beside a tipped over chair. Blood “covered her face,” according to the police report.

Other furniture inside the residence had also been toppled, including a sofa and a television set. Children’s clothing was spread across the floor.

The...

ALBUQUERQUE – On Dec. 20, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the addition of new claims and three new defendants to his lawsuit against companies he alleges are responsible for the opioid epidemic in New Mexico.

Following additional investigation, Balderas made the decision to amend New Mexico’s original complaint both to allege an industry-wide effort among manufacturers and distributors to unlawfully increase opioid sales in New Mexico, and to name additional defendants for their part in creating the epidemic.

“The entire pharmaceutical opioid industry, including both manufacturers and distributors together, has been in on the scheme to illegally market and...

ALBUQUERQUE – On Dec. 19, Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the launch of the New Mexico Charities Compliance Sweep. The Office of the Attorney General has started sending out notices to charities across the state that are delinquent in their registration and reporting requirements as required by the Charitable Solicitations Act. The sweep offers delinquent charities the opportunity to come into compliance without having to face formal legal action.

“New Mexicans who open their hearts and wallets deserve to know where their hard-earned money is being spent by a charity,” Balderas said. “I am offering charities the opportunity to self-report and come into compliance...