Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Assault and Strangulation

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man admitted to assaulting and strangling a victim, leaving them with serious injuries.

According to court documents, on March 13, 2025, Philman Sam Pike, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted the victim by punching, strangling and suffocating them, causing them to lose consciousness and causing them extreme physical pain.

Pike pleaded guilty to assault by strangling. At sentencing, Pike faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pike will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.