Mescalero Man Charged with Domestic Violence

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Fulton Charles Potter appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with assault by strangulation and/or suffocating a spouse or intimate partner. Potter, 29, of Mescalero, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

According to the criminal complaint, on Nov. 24, 2023, Potter assaulted Jane Doe, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, at the home of a relative by hitting her in the head, biting her, and strangling her until she lost consciousness. Jane Doe’s brothers arrived at the home during the assault and intervened.

A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the current charge, Potter faces 10 years in prison.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.

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