Iyanbito, N.M., Woman Sentenced to Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction Involving the Death of a Child

ALBUQUERQUE – Sherie Rena Pete, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Iyanbito, N.M., was sentenced this morning to a year and a day in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for her involuntary manslaughter conviction.

Pete was arrested on May 14, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging her with involuntary manslaughter based on a single motor vehicle crash on May 5, 2013, in Iyanbito, which is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation that resulted in the death of a three-year old child.  Two other individuals were injured as a result of the crash. 

On Aug. 7, 2013, Pete pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and admitted killing the victim while driving under the influence of alcohol.  Pete admitted that she had been drinking alcohol before driving her vehicle off the roadway, overcorrecting, and flipping the vehicle one and a half times.

 This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob A. Wishard.