Shiprock man sentenced to prison for assault

FARMINGTON – A 31-year-old Shiprock man was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty Aug. 5 to a federal firearms violation, according to a U.S. Department of Justice press release.

Jeffrey J. Franklin was arrested Aug. 16, 2014, on accusations he attempted to shoot his girlfriend and her family at a barbecue at a housing complex at the Two Grey Hills, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Franklin allegedly fired several rounds at a vehicle occupied by his ex-girlfriend's family, including two young children. He then threatened his girlfriend with the shotgun and shot at her feet when she attempted to disarm him, the affidavit states.

Franklin was indicted on Nov. 19, 2014, on four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty Aug. 5 to one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The Farmington office of the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Novaline D. Wilson and Kyle T. Nayback prosecuted the case.