Pine Hill, N.M., Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Charlie Cohoe, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Pine Hill, N.M., was sentenced on Aug. 8, 2013, to 87 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his federal assault conviction.

Cohoe was arrested on Jan. 25, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.  The criminal complaint alleged that, on Jan. 18, 2013, Cohoe repeatedly stabbed and slashed another Navajo man who had agreed to drive Cohoe to a friend’s residence.  The assault occurred in Cibola County within the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation.

On April 10, 2013, Cohoe pled guilty to a felony information, charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, and admitted assaulting the victim with a knife, causing life-threatening injuries that required surgery.  The victim’s face also was disfigured as a result of the assault.

The case was investigated by the Ramah Navajo Police Department with assistance from the New Mexico State Police, the Grants Police Department and the Cibola County Sheriff’s Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec.