Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense

ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon admitted to stealing and attempting to sell a loaded firearm.

According to court documents, on August 10, 2022, Crandall Craig Martin, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stole a loaded firearm with the intention of trading it for alcohol or money to buy alcohol. As both a previously convicted felon and person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Martin was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Martin pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At sentencing, Martin faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Martin will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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 Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Jones and Brittany DuChaussee are prosecuting the case.

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