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Crime & Courts

Shiprock Man Convicted of Federal Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping Charges

A federal jury convicted Keanu Lee of sexually abusing two minors and kidnapping and seriously injuring one of them.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 5, 2026, 1:41 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 7h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 5, 2026, 2:39 p.m. ET — checked 7h ago.

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury Keanu Lee, 34, of Shiprock, New Mexico, on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico announced on September 4, 2026. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between June 2024 and February 2025, Lee kidnapped and sexually abused a minor identified as Jane Doe 1, and assaulted her, causing serious bodily injury. The evidence also established that on two occasions between 2012 and 2014, Lee sexually abused a second minor, Jane Doe 2. The jury found Lee guilty of three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, kidnapping, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Lee faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison at sentencing. The announcement was made by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office. The case was investigated by the FBI's Farmington Resident Agency with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

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  1. Version 15 Sept 2026, 17:41current

    First published.

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