ALBUQUERQUE – Beverleta Tayah, a Navajo Nation woman, has pleaded guilty to federal charges for shooting and seriously injuring a man on the Navajo Nation in November 2024.
According to court documents, Tayah, 54, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, armed herself with a handgun and shot John Doe in the chest, causing serious bodily injury. She pleaded guilty to two federal felony offenses: Assault resulting in serious bodily injury and Assault with a dangerous weapon.
Each offense carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release and victim restitution for related monetary expenses. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and FBI Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris announced the plea. The case was investigated by the FBI's Gallup Resident Agency with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones.