U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Additional Sentence Against Defendant for Escape from Federal Custody

ALBUQUERQUE – A defendant previously convicted for assaulting an intimate partner was sentenced to an additional 14 months in prison after escaping from federal custody while transitioning to a residential reentry program.

According to court documents, William Valencia, 33, an enrolled member of Laguna Pueblo, was initially sentenced on January 23, 2020, to 75 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating.

On July 27, 2023, while at Diersen Residential Reentry Center in Albuquerque, Valencia tested positive for alcohol and left the facility without permission. He remained at large until October 5, 2023, when he was arrested by Albuquerque Police for possession of fentanyl.

Upon his release from prison, Valencia will be subject to an additional three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro prosecuted the case.

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