Ninth Circuit Partially Reverses Conviction for Theft from Fort Peck Tribe

Here is the opinion in United States v. White Eagle.

The court’s summary:

The panel affirmed in part and reversed in part a criminal judgment in a case arising out of the involvement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in a scheme to obtain money from a tribal credit program.

Reversing convictions on counts charging conspiracy to convert tribal credit program proceeds (18 U.S.C. § 371) and theft and conversion from an Indian Tribal Organization (18 U.S.C. §§ 1163, 2), the panel held that the government’s misapplication theory, predicated at best on an employer directive and a civil regulation, cannot support a conviction; and that the government’s embezzlement and conversion theories also fail because the defendant never controlled or had custody of the funds that she later borrowed.

Affirming a bribery conviction (18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(2)), the panel held that a jury could easily infer a quid pro quo and had ample evidence to conclude that the defendant’s actions were “corrupt.”

Because the government did not show that the defendant violated a specific duty to report credit program fraud, the panel reversed her conviction of concealment of public corruption (18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1)).

And the briefs:

White Eagle Opening Brief

US Answer Brief

White Eagle Reply Brief

Federal Court Refuses to Dismiss Bribery Charges against Former 29 Palms Attorney

Here are the newest materials in United States v. Kovall (C.D. Cal.):

Omnibus Motion to Dismiss Indictment

US Opposition

Omnibus Reply

No order yet, but news coverage here.

Gary Kovall Indictment (29 Palms Bribery Case)

Here:

Kovall et al Indictment

We noted the press coverage here.

Attorney for Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Indicted for Bribery and Conspiracy

Here and here.

Bergal Mitchell Indictment

Here: Bergal Mitchell Indictment.

 

US v. Nystrom — Bribery of Crow Creek Sioux Tribe Official

In this case, the District of South Dakota accepted a magistrate report and recommendation not to dismiss federal charges of bribing a tribal school official.

us-v-nystrom-dct-order

us-v-nystrom-magistrate-report