A Pojoaque man, arrested in Kentucky in January, is being held without bail in federal detention after being indicted on a charge of aggravated sexual abuse.
A federal grand jury indicted Alexander Duran, 30, on Dec. 3, 2024 and he was subsequently arrested in Kentucky on Jan. 16. It took a month for the court to unseal his case in New Mexico, even though he was arrested on Jan. 16. A judge in Kentucky appears to not have seen him, or appointed him an attorney, until Jan. 27, where he waived extradition to New Mexico.
According to the indictment, Duran is accused of engaging and attempting to engage in a sexual act with a girl who was younger than 12, specifically, molesting her.
The molestation happened between Dec. 21, 2021 and Feb. 23, 2022. The incidents allegedly happened in Santa Fe County.
The indictment contains no other details or allegations.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Duran is an enrolled Pojoaque tribal member.
He was arraigned in New Mexico on Feb. 18 by Magistrate Judge Jerry Ritter in federal court in Las Cruces, where he was ordered held without bail, pending a detention hearing.
If convicted, Duran faces a prison sentence of 30 years to life.
On Feb. 21 in federal court in Albuquerque, Judge Jennifer Rozzoni again ordered Duran held without bail pending trial, at the request of federal prosecutors. Rozzoni did not write why, specifically, Duran should be held indefinitely without bail, instead marking a series of boxes on a form, including that:
• Duran presented enough evidence to rebut the presumption that he should be held
• He faces a lengthy prison term if convicted
• Prior criminal history
• Participation in criminal activity while on probation, parole or supervision
• History of violence or use of weapons
• History of alcohol or substance abuse
• Lack of stable employment
• Prior failure to appear in court
• Prior attempts to evade law enforcement
• “Background information unknown or unverified”
• Prior violations when on probation, parole or supervised release
Nothing in Rozzoni’s order indicates what evidence was used in the hearing and minutes from the hearing do not contain any details.
Duran has no criminal history in the New Mexico state court system or in the federal New Mexico courts.
No future court hearings have been set.