Dennehotso Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Domestic Assault

     PHOENIX – Today, Tyler Joe, 26, of Dennehotso, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 20 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Joe had previously pleaded guilty to assault of an intimate partner or dating partner by suffocation.

     On Sept. 23, 2018, Joe assaulted the victim by placing his arm over her mouth and applying force so that she could not breathe.  The assault occurred on the Navajo Nation, and Joe is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.  Joe’s sentence in this case was enhanced under the United States Sentencing Guidelines because he violated a court order of the Navajo Nation tribal court, which prohibited him from contacting the victim at the time he committed the offense.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-8326-PCT-SPL

RELEASE NUMBER:    2019-046_Joe

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