ALBUQUERQUE – Duane Aaron Skeet, 49, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Chichiltah, NM, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Albuquerque, NM for his conviction on a felony child abuse charge.  Skeet was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by a year of supervised release for endangering the lives and health of 25 Navajo children who were under his care while he was operating a school bus under the influence of alcohol.

Skeet previously pleaded guilty to this child abuse offense on March 26, 2019.  In his plea agreement, Skeet admitted that on the afternoon of Sept. 24, 2018, while he was employed as a school bus driver by the Bureau of Indian Education, he consumed alcohol before arriving for work at the Chi Chi Tah Jones Ranch School, which is located on the Navajo Indian Reservation.  Skeet acknowledged that he was intoxicated as he drove away from the school in a school bus with 25 Navajo children, ranging from five to 12 years in age, on board. 

According to court records, due to Skeet’s intoxicated state, the school bus swerved from side to side on the roadway.  Skeet continued driving the school bus in a damaged condition after hitting an embankment; almost flipped the bus while taking a sharp turn at a high rate of speed; and almost drove off a bridge near a canyon.  At times, children were thrown back and forth inside of the bus, although none suffered bodily harm.  Skeet’s bus route lasted almost 1 hour and covered approximately twenty-five miles with eight stops along at which children were dropped off, fortunately without injury.

The Window Rock office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Cowen prosecuted the case.