A man from Shiprock, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison following a drunk driving crash that left his passenger critically injured. Philbert Wayne Mark, 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was convicted after pleading guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Court documents state that on January 11, 2018, Mark was driving at high speeds while highly intoxicated when he failed to navigate a turn. The vehicle rolled for 174 feet and ejected his passenger, causing critical injuries. At the hospital, Mark’s blood alcohol content measured .396.
Upon completion of his prison term, Mark will be subject to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office. "Acting 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 case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
