Farmington man faces murder charge in federal court in connection with 2021 incident

A Farmington man is awaiting trial in federal court after being charged with first-degree murder and other offenses by the New Mexico U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hanson Tsosie, 33, a member of the Navajo Nation, was charged with murder, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition in connection with a 2021 incident, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Tsosie is alleged to have shot and killed a woman on Sept. 5, 2021, and assaulted and seriously injured another woman. Authorities say Tsosie had a previous conviction for battery against a household member, which made it illegal for him to possess firearms or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the Department of Criminal Investigations.

Tsosie has a lengthy criminal history with numerous arrests for possession of a controlled substance, battery of a household member, assault of a household member, aggravated assault and recovering or transferring stolen property. Most of those charges were dismissed in district court, but Tsosie was convicted in 2016 of a 2015 aggravated assault against a family member. He also pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of embezzlement and possession of a controlled substance.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 ormeasterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.