An Albuquerque man was federally sentenced for covering up a kidnapping and murder in the Navajo Nation.Peter Sandoval was sentenced to 199 days after helping destroy evidence linked to the killing and kidnapping in June 2020.The federal investigation found Antonio Chaco assaulted Thomas Brown outside of a trailer home. This led to Brown being rolled in a carpet and transported to a remote desert area.Your neighborhood: Local news from KOAT Action 7 NewsBrown was later found in the To’Hajiilee area of the Navajo Nation on July 4, 2020. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined the cause of death to be homicidal violence, including blunt-force trauma to the head.Sandoval was found to have taken steps to hide the criminal acts of Chaco. That included cleaning blood from the vehicle used to move the victim. He pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping.Chaco pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Sandoval and Chaco will be subjected to several years of supervised release following their prison sentences.Navajo police and its Department of Criminal Investigations assisted the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with the investigation. The announcement was made on Monday, Aug. 4.Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
An Albuquerque man was federally sentenced for covering up a kidnapping and murder in the Navajo Nation.
Peter Sandoval was sentenced to 199 days after helping destroy evidence linked to the killing and kidnapping in June 2020.
The federal investigation found Antonio Chaco assaulted Thomas Brown outside of a trailer home. This led to Brown being rolled in a carpet and transported to a remote desert area.
Your neighborhood: Local news from KOAT Action 7 News
Brown was later found in the To’Hajiilee area of the Navajo Nation on July 4, 2020. The Office of the Medical Investigator determined the cause of death to be homicidal violence, including blunt-force trauma to the head.
Sandoval was found to have taken steps to hide the criminal acts of Chaco. That included cleaning blood from the vehicle used to move the victim. He pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to kidnapping.
Chaco pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Sandoval and Chaco will be subjected to several years of supervised release following their prison sentences.
Navajo police and its Department of Criminal Investigations assisted the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with the investigation. The announcement was made on Monday, Aug. 4.
Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free
