Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Assault

ALBUQUERQUE - A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to an assault that left a victim with life-threatening injuries.

According to court documents, on November 18, 2025, Darrell Joe Ben, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted the victim while intoxicated. Officers detained Ben at the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital and received treatment for critical injuries before being transferred to an intensive care unit in Albuquerque.

Ben pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury of a dating partner. He faces up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case.