Phillip Edward Lahi Sr., a resident of McKinley County, New Mexico, has entered a guilty plea to charges of child sexual abuse. The case, which was brought to the attention of the court, involved unlawful and knowing engagement in sexual acts with a child under the age of twelve.
The indictment against Mr. Lahi Sr. 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. The sexual act 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.
The recommended sentence for Lahi is 96 months (eight years) of imprisonment, taking into account his acceptance of responsibility, under state law. Additionally, the court may order fines, supervised release, a special penalty assessment, and restitution as deemed appropriate. Lahi also agreed to register as a sex offender upon release from prison and to comply with sex offender registration requirements.
This plea agreement is binding unless the court rejects it, as part of the agreement, Lahi waives his right to appeal his conviction and sentence, except for issues related to defense counsel's ineffective assistance.
The court will ultimately decide the sentence based on the plea agreement and other relevant factors. Lahi remains in custody until the court's decision on his sentencing, a date for this has not been set.