PHOENIX, Ariz. – Travis Ray Preston, 27, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On June 25, 2021, a federal jury convicted Preston of one count of involuntary manslaughter.
On September 18, 2016, near Tuba City, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, Preston was operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and driving at a high rate of speed. Preston lost control of the vehicle and caused it to roll multiple times off the road. During this roll, one of Preston’s three passengers was ejected and killed. Later testing revealed that Preston’s blood alcohol content was at least .096 and the vehicle was traveling 69 miles per hour just before the accident. Both Preston and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
The Navajo Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Simon and Timothy Courchaine, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-17-08264-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-009_Preston
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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