Shiprock Man Sentenced for Assault

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to five years of probation for slashing another man’s throat.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on September 10, 2022, Darron Smith, 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was attending a small gathering at an apartment within the Navajo Nation reservation. Shortly after midnight, without warning or provocation, Smith removed a 7.5-inch blade from a knife block and sliced the throat of John Doe.

John Doe was rushed to the emergency room and hospitalized. He suffered a 5 ½ inch laceration on his neck which required 13 sutures.

Smith pled guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison 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 the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.

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