ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A federal judge in Albuquerque sentenced 72-yearold Phillip Edward Lahi, Sr., an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, to an eightyear prison term following his guilty plea to charges of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. The court ruling also includes five years of supervised release under sex-offender- specific conditions and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Furthermore, Lahi, Sr. is ordered to pay a fine of $83,400 to cover the costs associated with his incarceration and subsequent supervised release.
Lahi, Sr.'s case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. This initiative aims to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. It brings together resources from federal, state, and local levels to more effectively locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children through the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. The coordinated efforts under Project Safe Childhood highlight a unified approach towards addressing and mitigating child exploitation and abuse across the country.
The case was investigated by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee took on the prosecution responsibilities.
The sentence against Lahi includes two counts of sexual abuse, which he has since pleaded guilty to: Count 1: Between October 1, 2021, and November 1, 2021, in Zuni Pueblo, the defendant, Phillip Edward Lahi Sr., unlawfully and knowingly engaged in sexual contact with Jane Doe, a child under the age of twelve. Sexual acts involved penetration.
Count 2: Between November 1, 2021, and December 1, 2021, in Zuni Pueblo, Lahi unlawfully and knowingly engaged in and attempted to engage in a sexual act with Jane Doe, a child under the age of twelve. The sexual act consisted of penetration, with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, arouse, and gratify the sexual desire of any person.
In a plea agreement, Lahi acknowledged his right to be represented by an attorney and expressed satisfaction with his legal representation. He waived several rights, including the right to a trial by jury, the right to confront and crossexamine adverse witnesses, the right to be protected from compelled self-incrimination, and the right to compel the attendance of defense witnesses.
In the agreement, Lahi admitted to his guilt, admitting that between the specified dates, he engaged in sexual contact with Jane Doe, a child under the age of twelve, by touching her inappropriately.