ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A man already serving a federal prison sentence for a 2020 murder has been sentenced to additional time behind bars after authorities said he assaulted a detention officer at the Cibola County Correctional Center while he was in custody awaiting trial.
Antonio Chaco, 42, received a 46-month federal prison sentence for the November 5, 2024 assault on a CoreCivic detention officer, according to court documents cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico. The court ordered 24 months of that sentence to run consecutively to Chaco’s existing term — meaning he will serve an additional two years in prison beyond his current 17-year sentence.
Federal prison sentences do not include parole, the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted.
Court documents state that the officer opened Chaco’s cell door when Chaco allegedly launched a surprise attack, repeatedly punching her in the face, attempting to throw her over a second-floor railing, and then taking her to the ground, where he allegedly strangled her. Medical staff evaluated the officer after the incident and documented bruising and swelling on the left side of her face, according to the release. The officer later sought additional treatment at a local hospital for neck, arm and facial pain.
At the time of the assault, Chaco was in federal custody awaiting trial in connection with the 2020 killing of Thomas Brown, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said Chaco beat Brown and abandoned him in the To’Hajiilee wilderness without food, water, or shelter. Chaco later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in that case and was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and U.S. Marshal David Barnett announced the sentencing. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the detention- officer assault, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary C. Jones and Brittany DuChaussee prosecuted both cases, the release stated.