FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE—Jerome Dominic Concha, 20, a member and resident of Jemez Pueblo, pleaded guilty this morning to a federal assault charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Concha was arrested Jan. 10, on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon. In February, Concha was indicted and charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to court records, on Jan. 1, Concha repeatedly struck another Jemez Pueblo man in the face and head with a hatchet in a residence on Jemez Pueblo.

During this morning’s proceedings, Concha pled guilty to the indictment and admitted assaulting the victim with a hatchet. The victim sustained serious injuries, including a depressed skull fracture, a fracture to the jaw and upper palate, and the loss of multiple teeth, as a result of the assault.

Concha has been in federal custody since his arrest and remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

At sentencing, Concha faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI, with assistance from the Jemez Pueblo Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito.