San Juan County Man Sentenced for Multiple Violent Assaults, Including Federal Officers

MOAB, Utah – A San Juan County, Utah, man was sentenced to 35 months’ imprisonment today after, over the course of several days, he violently assaulted several people. The man punched, strangled, and threatened to kill a woman, struck a man over the head with a stick and threatened to kill him with a knife, and assaulted federal officers with the Bureau of Indian Affairs that had arrived to intervene.  

Zane C. Yazzie, 33, of Aneth, Utah, pleaded guilty on July 9, 2026, to assault resulting in serious bodily injury while within Indian Country, assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while within Indian Country, and assault on a federal officer.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Anne Marie McIff Allen, sentenced him to three years of supervised release.

According to court documents and statements made at Yazzie’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between March 5, 2026 and March 9, 2026, while within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation Reservation, Yazzie assaulted a female victim over the course of several days. Yazzie punched the female victim in the face and broke her nose, strangled her with his hands, and threatened her with a firearm. During this same time period, and in the same location, Yazzie also assaulted a second victim by hitting him over the head with a stick while he was sleeping. A couple of days later on March 9, 2026, Yazzie also held a knife up to the victim’s throat and stated he was going to slit it. On the same day, when law enforcement responded to a report related to these assaults and at this same location, Yazzie assaulted federal officers with the Bureau of Indian Affairs by attempting to strike them with his fist to cause injury.

“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Yazzie’s violent spree. We are committed to protecting the community from such violence. When such violence is re-directed at responding federal officers performing official duties, federal law provides for additional penalties,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are grateful the victims in this case are recovering, and we hope they can find some measure of peace knowing the defendant remains in custody.”

"Violence has no place in our communities. Whether you target innocent people or federal officers who put their lives on the line to protect the public, justice will find you," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI is committed to protecting the people who live and work on tribal lands and holding those who threaten their safety accountable."

The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency.

Assistant United States Attorneys Brady Wilson and Sam Pead of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.