Tucson Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years In Prison for Violent Sexual Assault

TUCSON, Ariz. – On May 5, 2026, Steven Daniel Buitimea, 37, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 210 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Buitimea previously pleaded guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse. 

On May 28, 2022, Buitimea, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, sexually assaulted the victim by force, causing serious physical injury to the victim. The sexual assault occurred on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation in Tucson, Arizona.

The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson office and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            22-CR-1916

RELEASE NUMBER:    2026-070_Buitimea

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/

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