A man from Cuba, New Mexico, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for a fatal shooting that occurred during a highway chase in 2022. Rodgerick Tsosie, 32, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Court documents state that on May 16, 2022, Tsosie was called to intervene in a fight involving the driver of another vehicle, John Doe 2, and other family members. While chasing the vehicle along New Mexico Highway 197 near Torreon, Tsosie fired a shot intended for John Doe 2 but instead struck his 14-year-old nephew, referred to as John Doe 1. Despite emergency medical efforts at the scene and later at a hospital in Santa Fe, the teenager died that evening.
Law enforcement officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI responded to the incident. Witnesses identified Tsosie’s vehicle and several occupants told authorities he was responsible for the shooting. Tsosie later admitted firing the shot, saying: “I guess I’ll take the fall for it.”
Following his prison term, Tsosie will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.”
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime Task Force with help from local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco prosecuted.
