Kewa Pueblo Woman Sentenced to Fifteen Months in Prison for Aggravated Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Lolita Nieto, 36, a member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, was sentenced this afternoon to 15 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release for her aggravated assault conviction. Nieto also was ordered to pay $3,745.20 in restitution to the victim of her attack.

Nieto was indicted on March 1, 2012, and charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. She has been in federal custody since her arrest on March 9, 2012.

On July 26, 2012, Nieto pled guilty to an Information charging her with aggravated assault. In entering her guilty plea, Nieto admitted that, on July 23, 2011, she assaulted another woman in Indian country within Sandoval County, N.M. More specifically, Nieto admitted striking and kicking the victim of her assault.

As required by Nieto’s plea agreement, the indictment against Nieto was dismissed after sentence was imposed.

The case was investigated by the Santa Fe office of the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, Southern Pueblos Agency, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle T. Nayback.