Dulce Man Charged in Federal Court for Assault

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury has indicted a Dulce man on a charge of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to an intimate or dating partner.

According to court documents, on July 23, 2025, Shelton Atole, 35, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, assaulted the victim and the assault resulted in substantial bodily injury.

Atole will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Atole faces up to 5 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.