An Albuquerque resident has received a prison sentence for his involvement in concealing a brutal crime that occurred in the To’Hajiilee area on the Navajo Nation.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 60-year-old Peter Paul Sandoval was sentenced on Monday for helping conceal the 2020 kidnapping and murder of Thomas Brown. Federal prosecutors say Sandoval assisted Antonio Chaco after the crime by cleaning blood from a vehicle used to transport Brown’s body.
Authorities reported that Chaco assaulted Brown outside his trailer in June 2020. He then wrapped Brown in carpet and transported him to an isolated desert area, where he continued the attack and abandoned Brown without essentials such as water, food, or shelter.
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Brown’s remains were discovered the following month in July. A medical investigation determined the cause of death to be homicidal violence, including significant blunt-force trauma to the head.
Earlier this month, Chaco pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Sandoval, who admitted to being an accessory after the fact to the kidnapping, received a 199-day prison sentence. Upon his release, Sandoval will serve three years of supervised release and must pay restitution to Brown’s family.
