Gallup man arrested for assault causing serious injuries

ALBUQUERQUE - A Gallup man is facing federal charges after allegedly attacking an adult victim inside a vehicle, causing serious facial injuries.

According to court documents, on December 31, 2025, Dennison Billy, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted an adult victim while the victim was driving and Billy was in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Responding officers found Billy highly intoxicated in the passenger seat and the victim nearby with visible blood and multiple injuries, including facial trauma, bruising, and a swollen finger. The victim reported exiting the vehicle to avoid further assault. Blood and hair were observed inside the vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The victim later reported Billy had been drinking and became argumentative before striking the victim multiple times, causing a possible loss of consciousness. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained serious injuries, including a fractured orbital wall and fractured nasal bones. Billy told law enforcement he had consumed a large amount of alcohol, claimed he blacked out, and said he did not remember the incident.

Billy is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Billy faces 10 years in prison.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.