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'Tribal Justice News' from Justice Department
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Filed Under: Law

Every week, the Department of Justice compiles a list of recent federal activity in Indian Country. Here is the latest "Tribal Justice News" for the week of October 6.

Robert Darryl War Club Found Guilty in U.S. Federal Court (U.S. Attorney For the District of Montana)
Bill Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, announced that on Oct. 1, 2009, in Great Falls, after a four day federal district court trial before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Robert Darryl War Club, a 49-year-old resident of Wolf Point, was found guilty of first degree murder. Sentencing is set for Jan. 7, 2010. He is currently detained. War Club faces possible penalties of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.
• Former Fort Peck officer convicted of murder (10/2)

Former Casino Employee Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Adam Thomas Vega, 31, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson on Oct. 1, 2009, to 37 months in prison. Vega was also ordered to pay $644,422 in restitution. Vega, a former casino worker, pleaded guilty on April 10, 2009, to one count each of theft by an officer or employee of a gaming establishment on Indian Lands and attempted evasion of assessment and payment of his 2006 federal individual income taxes. Vega admitted that between October 2005 and July 2007, while employed as a slot floor person at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, he created 585 fraudulent jackpot override tickets. All of the false jackpot tickets were for amounts under $1,200 to avoid generating a W-2G federal tax withholding form. Vega submitted a total of $644,422 in jackpot tickets to the casino cage cashiers which were all cashed over the three year period.

Summer Lee Many White Horses Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)
Bill Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls on Oct. 1, 2009, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, Summer Lee Many White Horses, a 32-year-old resident of Browning and Great Falls, pled guilty to Social Security fraud. Sentencing is set for Dec. 28, 2009. She is currently detained. Many White Horses applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits on behalf of her son on September 18, 2007. Her son was eligible for federal assistance based upon his speech and language delays. This claim was approved and Many White Horses was selected to serve as her son’s representative payee, meaning she would receive and manage her son’s money for him. During an interview with law enforcement officials, Many White Horses told detectives her son had died on May 29, 2008. Following this interview, detectives retrieved her son’s badly decomposed body from the trunk of Many White Horses’ car. Many White Horses was recently convicted of negligent homicide for the death of her son in state court. She faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.

Federal Court Arraignments in Montana (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)
Bill Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on Sept. 29, 2009, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, the following individuals were arraigned:
* Ryan James Headden, a 29-year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona, appeared on charges of wire fraud, theft from an Indian tribal organization and interstate transport of stolen property. He is currently released on special conditions. If convicted of these charges, Headden faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.
* Joscayne Wales Little Bear Denny, a 29-year-old resident of Box Elder, appeared on charges of attempted aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact. Denny is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, Denny faces possible penalties of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervision.
* Terrena Lynn Blackman, a 25-year-old resident of Browning, appeared on charges of theft from an Indian tribal organization, theft from tribal government receiving federal monies, and theft from a healthcare facility. She is currently released on special conditions. If convicted of these charges, Blackman faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

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'Tribal Justice News' from Justice Department (9/30)