A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter following a fatal car crash in 2024. Irvin Virgil Wauneka, Jr., aged 35 and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol on September 22, 2024. According to court documents, Wauneka consumed approximately half a pint of Jim Beam whiskey before operating the vehicle.
The impaired driving led to a head-on collision with another motor vehicle. Jane Doe, who was a passenger in Wauneka's car, suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wauneka faces up to eight years in prison and three years of supervised release at sentencing. "There is no parole in the federal system," noted officials.
The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office.
The case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting this case.