Navajo Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Involuntary Manslaughter Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Shannon Allen, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Mariano Lake, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 34 months in prison for her conviction on an involuntary manslaughter charge.  Allen will be on supervised release for three years after completing her prison sentence.

Allen was arrested in Oct. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging her with killing a man on Sept. 23, 2017, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M.  According to the complaint, Allen killed the victim when she lost controlled of her vehicle and caused her vehicle to rollover.  At the time, Allen was driving under the influence of alcohol. 

Allen subsequently was indicted on Oct. 24, 2017, and was charged with involuntary manslaughter.  On May 10, 2018, Allen pled guilty to the indictment and admitted killing the victim while driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol.  Allen acknowledged that the alcohol rendered her incapable of exercising clear judgment and a steady hand in operating the vehicle. 

This case was investigated by the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Ruiz-Velez prosecuted the case.