Laguna Pueblo Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Arson Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Brian Dyea, 30, an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo who resides in Mesita, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an arson charge.

Dyea was arrested in Dec. 2017, on an indictment charging with him arson.  According to the indictment, Dyea committed the crime by setting fire to and burning a building on Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M., on June 17, 2016.

On March 5, 2018, Dyea pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on June 17, 2016, he set fire to his father’s trailer, which was located on the Laguna Pueblo, causing thousands of dollars of damage to the trailer.  Dyea further admitted that he set the fire while his father was still inside the trailer, and his father suffered minor smoke inhalation.      

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas.