ALBUQUERQUE – A 32-year-old Laguna man has been sentenced to 27 additional months in federal prison following two violent assaults on his intimate partner, a member of the Acoma Pueblo, in 2019. The sentencing comes after Bret Anthony Vallo received credit for 13 months already served in tribal custody.
Federal sentencing laws do not allow parole, meaning Vallo will serve the entirety of his sentence. Upon his release, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the first assault occurred on May 30, 2019, when Vallo approached the victim from behind during an argument, wrapped his arm around her neck, and strangled her until she lost consciousness. The second incident took place between July 1 and July 15, 2019, when another verbal dispute turned violent. Vallo admitted to punching the victim in the face and hitting her multiple times with a metal futon leg.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez announced the sentencing, emphasizing the seriousness of domestic violence. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, with assistance from the Pueblo of Acoma Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II prosecuted the case.