Sells Gang Member Convicted By a Jury of Shotgun Slaying of a Woman

     TUCSON, Ariz. – Warren Miles, 26, of Sells, Ariz., was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter by a federal jury in Tucson on Sept. 5, 2018.  The case was tried before U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins from Aug. 29, 2018 through Sept. 5, 2018.  Miles, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, is being held after trial. Sentencing is set before Judge Collins on Nov. 28, 2018.

     The evidence at trial showed that on the day before Thanksgiving, on Nov. 22, 2017, in the early morning hours, a truck full of street-gang members accosted the victim and four other individuals, all of whom were also members of the Tohono O’odham Nation. They were in a wash area alongside a dirt road when the truck stopped and its occupants jumped out, brandishing firearms and yelling derogatory gang-related comments toward the group. A 12-gauge shotgun was used to fire two gunshots at close range, striking the victim in the face, neck, and chest area, which caused her death. The truck, with Miles as an occupant, fled the area and was later found at a residence east of Sells.  Eyewitnesses identified Miles as the assailant.  The incident occurred within the bounds of the Tohono O’odham Reservation.

     A conviction for involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of eight years, a $250,000 fine, or both.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Jesse J. Figueroa and Raquel Arellano, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.