Laguna Pueblo Woman Sentenced for Federal Misdemeanor Assault Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Allie P. Sarracino, 26, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo who resides in Casa Blanca, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon in Santa Fe, N.M., to one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release for her misdemeanor assault conviction.

Sarracino was arrested on Dec. 8, 2014, on a criminal complaint charging her with assaulting an intimate partner by strangulation.  According to the complaint, on Dec. 4, 2014, the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department responded to a report of assault on Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.  The complaint stated that Sarracino assaulted the victim, a Laguna woman, by striking her in the face and strangling her.  Sarracino was subsequently indicted on Jan. 8, 2015, and charged with assaulting an intimate partner by strangulation.

On June 15, 2015, Sarracino entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor information and admitted assaulting the victim by using her hands to strike the victim’s face.  Sarracino also admitted holding the victim down by pressing on her shoulders and neck area.  As a result of the assault, the victim suffered bruises, contusions and other wounds on her face and head.

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Mott prosecuted the case.

The case was brought pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna.  The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.  The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.