Navajo Man from Fruitland Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – George Begay, 47, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Fruitland, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a methamphetamine trafficking charge.  The guilty plea was entered without the benefit of a plea agreement.

Begay was arrested on May 11, 2016, on an indictment charging him with distributing methamphetamine on April 29, 2014, in San Juan County, N.M.  During today’s proceedings, Begay pled guilty to the indictment. 

At sentencing, Begay faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  Begay remains in custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Y. Ramirez is prosecuting the case.

The HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force is comprised of officers and investigators from the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Bloomfield Police Department, Aztec Police Department and HSI Albuquerque, and is part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988.  HIDTA is a program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States and seeks to reduce drug trafficking and production by facilitating coordinated law enforcement activities and information sharing.