Phoenix, Arizona - Monday, Michael K. Judy, 62, of Smoke Signal, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 24 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Judy had previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor.
According to the plea agreement, on or between April 18, 2001, and April 17, 2003, Judy, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, knowingly engaged in a sexual act with the female victim, who was eight or nine years old at the time. In 2014, the victim, now an adult, along with five others, also members of the Navajo Nation, reported multiple instances of sexual abuse on the Navajo Reservation by Judy during their childhoods. In total, the reported abuse spanned nearly three decades.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christina Covault, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.