Former Chairwoman of Montana Native Women's Coalition Convicted of Stealing Federal Grant Funds Meant for Victims of Violence

BILLINGS, Mont. — On Friday, a former board member of Montana Native Women’s Coalition was convicted by a federal jury of crimes related to unapproved spending of federal grant funds.

In a five day trial, the jury found Meredith McConnell, 51, of Lame Deer guilty on counts of theft from a program receiving federal funding, wire fraud and false claims as charged in a superseding indictment, according to the District Attorney’s Office in Montana. She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, though her sentencing is pending.

The Montana Native Women’s Coalition administers state and federal funding for domestic violence and programming for Native women. The Coalition receives funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), which provides grants for victim services.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/former-chairwoman-of-montana-native-women-s-coalition-convicted-of-stealing-federal-grant-funds-meant-for-victims-of-violence