Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)

TRIBAL JUSTICE NEWS August 14, 2011- September 1, 2011

Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Voluntary Manslaughter Charge (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzalez announced that Derrick Frank, 22, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter under a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Frank will serve a prison term of 108 to 135 months, to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. Frank, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Navajo, N.M., has been in federal custody since his arrest on January 17, 2011. He remains detained pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-09-01_frank_pr.pdf

Federal Court Arraignments for Charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)

U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter’s office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, Mont., on September 1, 2011, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn S. Ostby, two individuals were arraigned. Nalayna Rose Bullinsight, a 32-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. She is currently detained. If convicted of this charge, Bullinsight faces possible penalties of ten year to life in prison, a $4,000,000 fine and at least 5 years supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Rosanna Lynn Walks, a 36-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. She is currently detained. If convicted of this charge, Walks faces possible penalties of five years to 40 years in prison, a $2,000,000 fine and at least 4 years supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Harper Suek is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The defendants pled not guilty to the charges.

Zuni Pueblo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Manslaughter Charge (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzalez announced on August 31, 2011, that Cameron Kalestewa, a 20 year-old member of the Pueblo of Zuni, admitted killing Michael Lalio, a 23-year-old member of the Pueblo of Zuni, during a physical altercation within the boundaries of the Zuni Indian Reservation on November 17, 2010. At sentencing, Kalestewa faces a maximum penalty of 15 years of imprisonment to be followed by up to five years of supervised release.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-31_kalestewa_pr.pdf

Fugitive Arrested by FBI and USMS (FBI Phoenix Division)

FBI Phoenix Division’s Special Agent in Charge (SAC) James L. Turgal Jr. and U.S. Marshal David Gonzales announced that Noah Grant Jr. has been arrested in the vicinity of the 2200 block of W. Devonshire in Phoenix, Arizona without incident on charges of kidnapping and sexual assault. On August 29, 2011 in Pinon, Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation, Grant allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted an adult female at knife point.

http://www.fbi.gov/phoenix/press-releases/2011/fugitive-arrested-by-the-fbi-and-the-usms?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_source=phoenix-press-releases&utm_content=29430

Bert Travis Little Owl Sentenced in U.S. District Court (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)

U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter’s office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, Mont., on August 31, 2011, Bert Travis Little Owl was sentenced after a federal district court trial in which he was found guilty of aggravated sexual abuse. In the federal system, Little Owl does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/mt/pressreleases/20110525113656.html

Jicarilla Apache Man Receives 28 Month Prison Sentence for Failing to Update Sex Offender Registration (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzalez’s office announced that Howard Roy Allen, Jr., a 39-year-old member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, was sentenced to a 24-month term of imprisonment for failing to update his sex offender registration and an additional four months of imprisonment for violating his supervised release, for a total of 28 months of imprisonment.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-31_allen_pr.pdf

Shiprock Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Attempting to Kill his Common-Law Wife (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

In the federal court in Santa Fe, Michael Harrison, 29, a member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, NM, was sentenced to a 78-month term of imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release for his conviction on an assault with intent to commit murder charge. U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that the case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety, Shiprock Division.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-30_harrison_pr.pdf

Laguna Pueblo Man Receives Fifteen Months for Failing to Update Sex Offender Registration (U.S. Attorney of New Mexico)

Jarvis Poncho, a 30-year-old member of the Pueblo of Laguna, was sentenced to a 15-month term of imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release for his conviction for failing to update his sex offender registration. According to the indictment, Poncho was required to register as a sex offender because he had been convicted of abusive sexual. As a lifetime registrant, Poncho was required to update his registration every 90 days. In entering his guilty plea, Poncho admitted failing to maintain his registration as required by SORNA.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-30_poncho_pr.pdf

Cochiti Pueblo Man Receives 25 Year Prison Sentence for Murdering His 95-Year-Old Grandmother (U.S. Attorney of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that a United States District Judge sentenced Brian Joseph Chavez, 39, a member of the Pueblo of Cochiti, to a 25-year term of imprisonment for his second degree murder conviction. Chavez was convicted through a guilty plea of murdering his 95 year-old grandmother, Jane Louise Chavez, on June 19, 2009, in the home shared by Ms. Chavez and Chavez in the Pueblo of Cochiti.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-30_chavez_pr.pdf

Navajo Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Abuse Charge (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that Nathan Yesslith pled guilty to placing his two year old son in danger on December 8, 2010 when he was driving while intoxicated on the Navajo Indian Reservation and crashed the vehicle. In his plea agreement, Yesslith admitted that, in the middle of the day on December 8, 2010, he was driving recklessly and under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his van into another vehicle. Yesslith further admitted that his two year old son was in the van and was unrestrained at the time of the collision.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-30_yesslith_pr.pdf

Two Men Receive Seven Year Prison Sentence for Armed Robbery on Sandia Pueblo (U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico)

U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that Christian Trancosa, 24, a member of the Pueblo of San Felipe, and Jonathan Gallegos, 19, of Albuquerque, each was sentenced to a seven-year term of imprisonment for using a firearm during a crime of violence. Trancosa and Gallegos were arrested after they stole a safe containing approximately $28,000 from the home of a Sandia Pueblo council member at gunpoint on the evening of September 13, 2010. Trancosa and Gallegos were arrested on September 14, 2010, and have been in federal custody since that time. According to court filings, on September 13, 2010, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) initiated an investigation after learning that a Sandia Pueblo council member had been the victim of an armed robbery.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/nm/pr/2011/2011-08-30_trancosa_gallegos_pr.pdf

North Dakota Man Sentenced for Reckless Endangerment (U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced on August 29, 2011, that Derek A. Reinolt, 27, of Duluth, Minn., was sentenced on a charge of reckless endangerment by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland during a federal court session in Bismarck, N.D. Reinolt was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and two years of supervised release. Reinolt was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.

Jury Finds Mclaughlin Man Guilty of Sexual Abuse of Adopted Children (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Michael Seibel, age 40, of McLaughlin, S.D., was convicted August 26, 2011, of four counts related to his sexual abuse of two adopted children on the Standing Rock Reservation as a result of a federal jury trial in Aberdeen. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 34 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-29-Seibel.html

Isabel Man Sentenced for Sexual Contact (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Isabel, S.D., man charged with abusive sexual contact was sentenced on August 26, 2011, by Chief U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier. Brent Two Bear, age 22, was sentenced to 235 months in custody. In 2007, Two Bear engaged in sexual contact with a juvenile who was under the age of 12. He pled guilty on May 10, 2011.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/SF-2011-08-26-Two%20Bear.html

Lake Andes Man Convicted of Multiple Rapes (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Lake Andes man was convicted of four felonies by a federal jury at a trial held in Sioux Falls. James Bruguier, a/k/a James Bruguier, Jr., 25, was found guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor, and first degree burglary for separate sexual assaults on an adult and two teenagers from the Yankton reservation. The testimony at trial this week revealed that two of the sexual attacks perpetrated by Bruguier occurred in the homes of the victims. Bruguier was originally indicted in February 2011 by a federal grand jury, and then re-indicted on two other occasions as more victims were discovered. The trial disclosed separate acts of sexual abuse on separate victims in 2004-2005, 2010, and 2011.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/SF-2011-08-26-Bruguier.html

Montana Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)

U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter announced on August 25, 2011, that during a federal court session before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon in Great Falls, Mont., Henry Thomas Standing Elk, Jr., a 34-year-old resident of Great Falls, Mont., pled guilty to failure to register as a sexual offender. Standing Elk faces possible penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years supervised release. Sentencing has been set for November 14, 2011.

Two Plead Guilty to Assault in Supai at the Bottom of Grand Canyon (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)

United States Attorney’s office announced that Tony Crooke, 43, and Robert Hastings, Jr., 23, both members of the Havasupai Indian Tribe, pleaded guilty yesterday to their involvement in a December 2010 assault in Supai, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Crooke pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Hastings pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/PR_08242011_Crooke.html

South Dakota Man Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced on August 17, 2011, that Leonard Chase Alone, Jr., 30, of Manderson, S.D., pled guilty to abusive sexual contact. The maximum penalty is life in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

North Dakota Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officer (U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced on August 16, 2011 that during a federal court session in Bismarck, N.D., Kevin Little Bear, 54, of Fort Yates, N.D., was sentenced in connection with a charge of assaulting and resisting a federal officer. Little Bear was sentenced to two years in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.

New Mexico Teen Receives FBI Director’s Certificate (FBI Albuquerque Division)

On August 17, 2011, Ashley Nez, a 16-year-old enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, received a FBI Director’s Certificate for her heroic actions in defending her mother from an attack last year. Nez repeatedly hit William Berlin Jr. with a baseball bat after he shot and assaulted Cassandra Nez on July 7, 2010. Nez was given the certificate by Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Michael Harrigan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Burkhead.

http://www.fbi.gov/albuquerque/press-releases/2011/navajo-teen-girl-receives-fbi-directors-certificate-in-new-mexico?utm_campaign=email-Immediate&utm_medium=email&utm_source=albuquerque-press-releases&utm_content=21987

South Dakota Man Pleads Guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced on August 17, 2011 that Merle Left Hand Bull, 60, of Rosebud, S.D., pled guilty to an assault with a dangerous weapon charge during a federal court session before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno. Moreno faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-16-Left%20Hand%20Bull.html

Oelrichs Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Oelrichs, South Dakota man charged with felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced on August 15, 2011, by United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange. Earl D. Dowty, age 45, was sentenced to 120 months in custody, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-16-Dowty.html

Dupree Woman Sentenced on Drug Charges (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Dupree woman charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute Vicoprofen (a combination Hydrocodone product) was sentenced on August 15, 2011, by United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange. Jennifer Brown Wolf, also known as Jennifer Clown, age 30, was sentenced to one month in custody, two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-16-Brown%20Wolf.html

Rosebud Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Edward Zane Roubideaux, Jr., age 20, of Rosebud, South Dakota, appeared before United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange on August 16, 2011, and pled guilty to sexual abuse of a minor. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-16-Roubideaux.html

South Dakota Man Sentenced for Shooting (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced on August 16, 2011 that Ronald Richard Parker, Jr., 40, of Eagle Butte, S.D., was sentenced in connection with his assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm conviction. Parker was sentenced to 71 months in custody, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

Eagle Butte Man Sentenced for Shooting (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte man charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced on August 16, 2011, by United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange. Ronald Richard Parker, Jr., age 40, was sentenced to 71 months in custody, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/sd/pressreleases/Pierre-2011-08-16-Parker.html

 

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