Nageezi Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

ALBUQUERQUE – A Nageezi man was sentenced to 13 years prison for engaging in non-consensual sexual acts with a minor.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between January 1, 2024, and April 30, 2024, Patrick Wayne Platero, 47, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in a sexual act with the minor victim without their consent.

Platero pled guilty to one count of sexual abuse. Upon his release from prison, Platero will be subject to three years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

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