Vanderwagen Man Sentenced for Firing Rifle During Assault
ALBUQUERQUE / Tuesday, September 2, 2025 – A Vanderwagon man was sentenced to 85 months in prison for using a firearm to threaten and assault another individual.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on May 1, 2023, Perris Jeremiah Arthur, 36, confronted the victim at his residence on the Navajo Nation. After starting a physical altercation, Arthur retrieved a .22 caliber rifle from his ATV, fired two rounds into the residence, and later pointed the weapon directly at the victim, threatening to cause serious harm. Fortunately, the victim was not injured during the alternation.
Arthur pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Upon his release from prison, Arthur will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Mexico
