The Department of Justice District of New Mexico has announced that a Zuni man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for federal firearms offenses after he fired a shotgun at an occupied vehicle parked outside of a home on the Zuni Pueblo.
There is no parole in the federal system
The Case
On the evening of February 2, 2025, Cody Laweka, 35, an enrolled member of Pueblo of Zuni, drove with another person to a home on the Pueblo of Zuni.
The person Laweka drove with had a shotgun in his truck bed. On the way to residence, Laweka asked to use that shotgun; and when he arrived at the residence, he exited the truck with the shotgun and shot at least twice at a car occupied by John Doe.
After the shooting, Laweka got back into the truck with the other person and left the scene. Fortunately, no one was hit by Laweka’s gunshots.
The Consequences
The following day, the FBI went to arrest Laweka at another home in Zuni, but fled when he saw the officers but was eventually apprehended.
During the interview, Laweka admitted on firing the shotgun at the car, and tossing it along the highway, which the Police attempted to search but never found.
At that time, Laweka admitted to these crimes and was on supervised release for committing a prior federal crime.
The Verdict
Laweka plead guilty to assault with dangerous weapon, using a firearm during a crime of violence and discharging the firearm. The court recommeded Defendant to complete the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), the Bureau of Prisons’ most intensive treatment program.
Upon his release from prison, Laweka will be subject to three years of supervised released.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin Garris, Speical Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque’s Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Pueblo of Zuni Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Z. Jones and Nicholas Marshall are prosecuting the case.