United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico
07/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/14/2026 13:14
Mescalero Man Sentenced for Violent Assault and Strangulation
ALBUQUERQUE - A Mescalero man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for assaulting and strangling the victim, leaving them with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on March 13, 2025, Philman Sam Pike, 25, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted the victim by punching, strangling and suffocating them, causing them to lose consciousness and causing them extreme physical pain.
Pike pleaded guilty to assault by strangling. Upon his release from prison, Pike will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. The Las Cruces Branch Office of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
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