Court Cases | Dennehotso man violates probation, back in prison

LOS ANGELES

A Dennehotso, Arizona, man, who was sent to prison by a federal court judge in Arizona in 2018 for being a drug user in possession of a firearm, is now being held in New Mexico for violating the terms of his probation.

Sheldon Reid Begaye received a 30-month sentence back in 2018 after he pleaded guilty to being in possession of a firearm. He was out on probation when he was arrested for violating the conditions of his probation.

In his plea agreement, signed in April of 2018, Begaye said when he was living in Dennehotso in 2017, he was a regular drug user.

Also during this time, he said he owned a .380-caliber Hi-Point firearm. On May 2, 2017, the weapon was in his car when he was stopped by an Arizona state police officer at a traffic stop.

Begaye had originally been facing assault charges as well because of a fight he had with his cousin. This included allegations that Begaye and his cousin flung sticks at each other and his cousin fought back by throwing a shovel and rocks at Begaye.

During trial preparation, the prosecutor met with the cousin and witnesses of the fight. They all expressed a reluctance to testify against Begaye. It also became apparent that Begaye could have a case of self-defense on the assault charge so the decision was to drop that charge and go after Begaye for possession of a firearm.

According to the warrant for his arrest this year, Begaye had violated the terms of his probation. Twice in 2021 he tested positive for taking drugs. As part of his probation, he was required to take periodic drug tests.

He also violated the terms of his probation, his arrest warrant said, when he traveled to Farmington without getting permission from his probation officer which he was supposed to do anytime he traveled outside the state.

Cuba man charged for shooting woman in arm

A Cuba, New Mexico, man is now in custody by the U. S. Marshal’s Office in Albuquerque after being charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.

Monty Montoya, 42, was accused of assaulting a 26-year-old woman identified in KM in court records, and shooting her in the arm.

According to court records, KM called Navajo Police on March 15 saying she had been shot by Montoya in Torreón.

When police arrived on the scene, they found Montoya in a nearby residence owned by his mother. He was taken into custody and transported to the Crownpoint Detention Center.

KM was interviewed by FBI agents on March 16 at the University of New Mexico Trauma Center, where she had been transported for treatment of the gunshot wound. She said that Montoya struck her numerous times on her face and head. She struggled to get free and as she ran away, she said Montoya shot her in the left arm. After shooting his pistol, Montoya fled the area, she said.

The criminal complaint said agents took note of her face, which was swollen and extremely bruised. She had also received surgery to repair a broken bone in the left forearm. She said she was also on extreme pain.

Montoya agreed to waive his rights and be interviewed. He admitted striking KM several times on her head either with his closed fist or his pistol. He said he pointed his pistol at KM to scare her and it discharged. He said he then took the pistol and hid it on n his mother’s property.

A witness told police that she saw Montoya cleaning up blood at his residence before police arrived. She also said Montoya told her that he had shot KM during an argument. On March 16, she said she found a pistol inside an inoperable car located on his mother’s property.

Murder charge for stabbing with machete

Gilbert John Jr., 34, was charged on March 23 with the 2019 murder of a 54-year-old Navajo man in 2019 by stabbing him with a machete.

According to the investigation conducted by the FBI, the body of KTN was placed in the trunk of a car which was driven around the Navajo Reservation for several days until fire officials were called to deal with a burning car and found his remains in the car’s trunk.

The FBI investigation turned up several reservation residents who had been aware that KTN’s body was in the car’s trunk and failed to report it to authorities. None of them have been charged in federal court.

The investigation began on July 17 when officials for the McKinley County Fire Department found human remains in the trunk of a burning car within the boundaries of Standing Rock Chapter. Checking the VIN of the 2013 Dodge Avenger, FBI agents found it belonged to a car owned by KTN.

The FBI contacted KTN’s sister who said her brother had that type of car and he had not been seen for several days. She also told FBI agents that he had both of his hips replaced in 2017 and had missed two doctor appointments. The medical examiner was able to identify the remains by KTN’s medical record.
The story that the witnesses told the FBI went as follows.

About a week before the car was found, John, KTN and a couple of other persons were driving to Witch Wells to purchase cigarettes. When they got halfway, KTN began grabbing the steering wheel. He was told to stop. After they arrived at Witch Wells and got the cigarettes, they turned around to go back to where they started.

On the way back, KTN grappled the steering wheel again almost causing the car to roll over. The others stopped the car and pulled KTN out and beat him. They then put him in the trunk of the car and the others got back in and drove to Pinehill where they were to pick up another person.

They then drove to Gallup where most of the riders got out and left the car in the hands of KP. KTN was still in the trunk, beaten but alive.

KP didn’t know what to do so she telephoned John. She then went to John’s apartment in Gallup and told him what was going on. John said “let’s go” and they began driving around town.

KTN eventually woke up and began making noise. The car was stopped and John opened it and grabbed him. KP later told the FBI that she heard yelling and then something that sounded like someone taking their last breath.

She said John then handed her a machete and told her it was her turn but she said she couldn’t stab him. Th criminal complaint said it was John’s decision to kill KTN and KP went along with it.

They then drove the car to Coyote Canyon and left it there. KP headed home while John reportedly called a friend and asked him to help tow the car. They then towed it to Pipeline Road and left it at the house of one of John’s relatives. It stayed there about a week.

His relatives began realizing something was wrong because of the bad smell coming from the car. John was called to remove the car. He said he had forgotten he had left it there.

When he got there, they towed the car to Gallup where they filled up a container with gas. They then drove it to an area on Route 9 and set it on fire.

On Oct. 17, 2021, John agreed to be interviewed. He said he was told that a man was in the truck when he was picked up at his apartment. He said he didn’t know that the guy in the truck was alive. He added that he did not know him.

He said they just drove around because they did not know what to do. They smoked methamphetamine and were still driving when KTN “woke up.” He said he opened the trunk and stabbed the person inside with a machete.

He said KTN managed to grab the machete so he picked up a “plier’s knife” and stabbed him again. He said he did not know how many times he stabbed the man. He said he sat on the trunk because KTN was still alive and trying to open it.

“I stayed there until he stopped moving,” he said.

When they took the car to his relative’s house, he said they tried to remove its GPS but in the end they disabled the car and were unable to repair it. He said he had forgotten about the car until his relative called and asked him to remove it.

He said they moved the car to a spot on Route 9 where they let it roll down a hill. They then went to Gallup to purchase gasoline. He said no one was with him when he lit the car on fire.

He said afterwards he did not feel good because he did something wrong and he was scared because he did something “you don’t do.”

Man pleads guilty to 2nd-degree murder

Jeremiah Isiah Cleveland has been sentenced by a federal court judge in Arizona to more than 16 years after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. After his release he will remain under supervised probation for five years.

If found guilty, Cleveland could have faced a life sentence. By pleading guilty and showing remorse, the prosecution agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 240 months.

According to court records, Cleveland and another man, identified as MK, got into a brief argument in Sl. Michaels. During the argument, Cleveland admitted he pulled out a gun and shot the victim twice. One shot hit him in the leg and the other in the chest. He died before he could get medical care.

Man pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter

Lane Shawn Jim has plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a man on the Arizona portion of the Navajo Reservation on April 15, 2020.

If found guilty, Jim was facing a maximum of eight years in federal prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, no recommendations have been made as to sentencing. His sentence day has been set for May 31.

In his plea agreement, Jim admitted shooting a man identified as TJ in the head with a Beretta 9mm. He said he and the victim got into an argument over a gun.

He claimed he did not know it was loaded when it went off.

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