ZUNI PUEBLO – Gallup, New Mexico man ,Armando Segovia was sentenced on August 12 to five years and three months in prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor. Segovia is a 32-year-old man that is not enrolled with any tribe, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the State of New Mexico, he is “non-Indian.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office worked with the Gallup Police Department to make the arrest because Segovia had left the Zuni Pueblo, in Cibola County, New Mexico. Interagency cooperation was vital to the success of this cooperation.
According to the court documents Segovia began the assaults in July of 2016. The assaults ended sometime in November of the same year. His victim was less than 12-years-old, court documents identify the girl as Jane Doe.
As part of a plea deal, Segovia pleaded guilty to the charge of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country. Upon his release from prison, Segovia will undergo 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, with help from Gallup Police Department, investigated this case. Special Assistant US Attorney Chelsea Van Deventer prosecuted this case under Project Safe Childhood. This project is the US Department of Justice’s effort to ensure that sex offenders who prey on children are caught and prosecuted. Specifically, Project Safe Childhood specifically works to tackle online crimes against children.