Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of Child in Indian Country

ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Darwin Chee pleaded guilty in federal court to abusive sexual contact. Chee, 53, of Red Valley, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

A federal grand jury indicted Chee on Nov. 23, 2022. According to publicly available court records, on Dec. 30, 2021, Chee sexually assaulted 15-year-old Jane Doe at a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Chee will be sentenced to a term of incarceration of no less than 14 years up to a maximum of 20 years. This incarceration will be followed by a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his eventual release from custody.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.

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