ALBUQUERQUE – Julian King, 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Vanderwagen, N.M., was sentenced May 23 in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 24 months in prison for his conviction on a federal child abuse charge.  King will be on supervised release for a year after completing his prison sentence.

King was charged by felony information on Jan. 19, 2017, with abusing a child abuse from March 1, 2011 through April 13, 2011, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.

King pled guilty to the information on Jan. 19, 2017.  In entering the guilty plea, King admitted that between March 12, 2011 and April 6, 2011 he abused a seven-month old infant...

The University of New Mexico Acting Provost Craig White announced on May 19 that Dr. Christopher Dyer, chief executive officer of the UNM-Gallup Campus, resigned from his position.

Dyer will remain at UNM-Gallup as a faculty member, beginning in fall semester of 2017, and will also pursue other professional initiatives.

Dyer joined UNM-Gallup as the top administrative officer on July 1, 2013.  Prior to that, he served as dean of academic affairs and tenured professor of anthropology at Missouri State University – White Plains.

“During his tenure as CEO at UNM-Gallup, Dr. Dyer placed strong emphasis on connecting the campus and the local community,” Marilee Petranovich...

SANTA FE, NM – State Auditor Keller confirmed today that the Office of the State Auditor has an ongoing investigation into financial practices at the UNM Athletics Department.

The investigation, which has been underway for the last three weeks, is in response to numerous concerns that have been raised.

These issues include a 2015 golf trip, financial controls and practices of executive management, credit card transactions, payments to non-UNM employees, and possible violation of the Anti-Donation Clause as well as other legal restrictions on the use and handling of public funds.

The Attorney General’s Office is also reviewing potential violations of the Government Conduct Act...

ALBUQUERQUE – Marshall J. Cheromiah, the former supervisor at the Laguna Pueblo Superette, was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for embezzling funds belonging to the Pueblo of Laguna. Cheromiah was also ordered to pay $21,758 in restitution to the Laguna Development Corporation and to perform 40 hours of community service.

Cheromiah, 32, of Mesita, N.M., was charged in an indictment filed on Nov. 5, 2015, with embezzling approximately $48,953.47 from the Pueblo of Laguna. According to the indictment, Cheromiah was working as an employee or agent of an Indian Tribal Organization when he...