A Mescalero man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teen 20 years his junior.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on September 27, 2024, Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation

Upon his release from prison, Chaffins will be subject to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case.