FOR ARMED ASSAULT ON TRIBAL, FEDERAL OFFICERS

ALBUQUERQUE – Jarod Martin, 36, a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Crownpoint, N.M., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 183 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on assault and firearms charges.  Martin’s crimes of conviction arose out of his March 2, 2015, assault against two Navajo Nation tribal police officers, one of whom was commissioned as a special federal officer by the BIA, during which Martin fired shots at one of the officers and later brandished his firearm at both officers.

Martin’s sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division, and Director Jesse Delmar of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.

Martin was arrested on March 10, 2015, on a criminal complaint alleging that he assaulted a federal officer and a tribal police officer.  Martin was subsequently indicted and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a federal officer, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.  At the time of his arrest, Martin was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he previously had been convicted of a felony offense.

According to court filings, Martin assaulted two officers of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, including one who was a federal officer because he held a Special Law Enforcement Commission from the BIA.  Martin committed the crimes on March 2, 2015, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.  Martin assaulted the tribal police officer by shooting at the officer as the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Martin’s vehicle.

After a vehicle pursuit that ended when Martin’s vehicle got stuck on the side of the road, Martin continued his flight on foot.  Two tribal police officers, including one who was federally commissioned, were able to track Martin to a ravine where he pointed a firearm at the officers as they attempted to apprehend him.  Martin was arrested after one of the officers shot Martin in the foot.

On Dec. 15, 2015, Martin pled guilty to assault with a deadly weapon, assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez prosecuted the case under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets “the worst of the worst” offenders for federal prosecution.

Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including McKinley County, N.M., under this initiative.