Shiprock Man Sentenced for Assault and Kidnapping
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ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for carrying out a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim. According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2025, Darrin Begay , 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim by punching, kicking, and strangling them, causing visible injuries to the victim’s face, neck, and arms. Then, on July 2, 2025, Begay went to the victim’s home, threatened to harm the victim’s family members, and forced the victim into a vehicle. Begay then drove the victim away from their residence. He reportedly assaulted the victim again before pushing them out of the vehicle and leaving them on the roadside. Begay pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation and kidnapping. On July 28, 2026, he was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release. First Assistant 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 Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Nicholas Marshall are prosecuting the case.
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"United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that MATTHEW MELTON was sentenced to 51 months in prison for committing securities fraud by running a Ponzi scheme."
"ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for carrying out a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim."
"ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for carrying out a series of violent assaults and a kidnapping that resulted in serious injuries to the victim."
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"MELTON was extradited back to the United States in December 2025. * * * In addition to the prison term, MELTON, 62, of Boulder, Colorado, was ordered to pay restitution, in an amount to be determined within 90 days, and forfeiture in the amount of $3,756,135, representing proceeds from his illegal scheme."