Seneca-Cayuga, Seneca, and Ho-Chunk Tribal Members and Enterprise Employees Plead Guilty to Violations of Federal Cigarette Trafficking Law

Here are selected materials in United States v. Sheffler (W.D. Mo.):

Jones Plea Agreement

Barber Plea Agreement

Frenchman Plea Agreement

Sheffler Motion to Dismiss

Sheffler Plea Agreement

Magistrate Report re Parry Motion to Dismiss

Parry Objection to R&R

DCT Order Adopting R&R

Parry Plea Agreement

Parry Sentence

United States v. Bryant Cert Petition — Federal Habitual Offender Statute and Uncounseled Tribal Court Convictions

Here is the petition:

Cert Petition

Question presented:

Section 117(a) of Title 18, United States Code, makes it a federal crime for any person to “commit[] a domestic assault within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or Indian country” if the person “has a final conviction on at least 2 separate prior occasions in Federal, State, or Indian tribal court proceedings for” enumerated domestic-violence offenses. 18 U.S.C. 117(a).

The question presented is whether reliance on valid uncounseled tribal-court misdemeanor convictions to prove Section 117(a)’s predicate-offense element violates the Constitution.

Lower court materials here (en banc) and here (panel).

ICRA Habeas Dismissed Because Tribal Prisoner Transferred to Federal Jail

Here are the materials in Granbois v. Fort Peck Tribal Jail (D. Mont.):

1 Petition

2 DCT Order

Second Circuit Rejects Jay Treaty Statute Defense to Criminal Prosecution

Here are the materials in United States v. Malachowski:

Appellant Brief

Appellee Brief

CA2 Order

An excerpt:

Malachowski invokes 8 U.S.C. § 1359, which allows American Indians born in Canada to freely cross the borders of the United States, and contends that he was wrongfully convicted of counts three, four, five, and six. The statute extends only “to persons who possess at least 50 per centum of blood of the American Indian race,” and we previously expressed skepticism that Malachowksi satisfied his burden of proof on this point. See Malachowski, 415 F. App’x at 313 (noting the “dearth of evidence respecting [Malachowski’s] ancestry”). Neither the immigration officer assigned to Malachowksi’s case nor the ATF agent investigating Malachowksi unearthed evidence of his American Indian heritage. G.A. 58, 146-47. And when Malachowski was arrested by a border patrol agent and asked “Do you claim any legal status in the United States?” Malachowski answered “No.” G.A. 54. During this encounter, Malachowski also did not “claim any other citizenship or nationality.” Id. Malachowksi has accordingly fallen short of prevailing on this claim.

Federal Court Declines to Dismiss Cockfighting Prosecution against Yakama Indian

Here are the materials in United States v. Olney (E.D. Wash.):

877 Olney Motion to Dismiss

882 US Response

883 Reply

888 DCT Order

Ninth Circuit Affirms Two Convictions in Tribal Embezzlement/Theft Schemes

Here are the materials in United States v. Aubrey:

Aubrey Opening Brief

US Answer Brief

Aubrey Reply

CA9 Opinion

An excerpt:

For purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1163, funds paid from an Indian tribal organization to a contractor continue to be “property belonging to any Indian tribal organization,” as long as the tribal organization maintains sufficient supervision and control of disbursed funds and their ultimate use. Accordingly, we reject William Aubrey’s contention that the evidence presented at his trial was insufficient to prove that he converted or misused property belonging to an Indian tribal organization in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163. We also deny Aubrey’s other challenges to his conviction and sentencing.

Here are the materials in United States v. Augare:

Aguare Opening Brief

US Answer Brief

Augare Reply

CA9 Opinion

From the court’s syllabus:

The panel affirmed a sentence in a case in which the district court applied a “sophisticated means” enhancement under U.S.S.G. § 2B1.1(b)(10)(C) following the defendant’s guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States, False Claims Act conspiracy, theft from an Indian tribe receiving federal funding, and federal income tax evasion.

The panel held that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it applied the “sophisticated means” enhancement to the defendant’s offense conduct. The panel explained that the coordinated and repetitive steps that the defendant took to transfer money from the Po’Ka project to his personal bank account are comparable in complexity and sophistication to the schemes held to warrant the enhancement in both this court’s precedent and persuasive authority from other circuits.

 

NPR: “Tribal Justice: Prosecuting non-Natives for sexual assault on reservations”

Here.

NPR on Pilot Program for Tribes to Access National Crime Databases

Here.

Under the Justice Department pilot program, 10 tribal communities will get their own hardware and training, so they don’t need to rely on local authorities.

John Dossett, general counsel of the National Congress of American Indians, said that matters.

“The states have been, you know, some of them are good to work with, some of them don’t work with tribes,” he said, “so it’s been an issue that’s been going on for a long time.”

Dossett pointed out that tribes have been pressing the federal government to open up the criminal databases for 10 years. And Congress has made it a priority, too.

He added that tribes are watching now to make sure the Justice Department program will be a continuing effort, one that will expand all over the country.

“We’re in a trust-but-verify situation,” Dossett said.

NAPGRA Criminal Prosecution — Acquiring Indian Remains

Here are the materials in United States v. Beatty (S.D. Ohio):

1 Information

3 Elements of the Plea Agreement

10 Consent to Plead Guilty

13 Magistrate Report

Split Eighth Circuit Affirms Drug Conviction of Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Member

Here is the opinion in United States v. Long.