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 November 10.

Bay Mills Indian Community Member Found Guilty Of Abusive Sexual Contact (U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan)
Justin Thomas Skipper, 22, of Brimley, Mich., was found guilty of abusive sexual contact on Nov. 6, 2009, following a two-day jury trial presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Holmes Bell, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. Skipper lived on the Bay Mills Indian Community Reservation, located in Brimley.

Sacaton Man Sentenced to 27 Years Prison for 2nd Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault for Vehicular Homicide of Gilbert Man (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Webster Norris III, 44, of Sacaton, Ariz., was sentenced on Nov. 5, 2009, to 27 years in prison after Norris was found guilty of second degree murder and aggravated assault by a federal jury on June 26, 2009. Norris was responsible for the 2008 vehicular homicide of a bicyclist on the Gila River Indian Reservation. On Sept. 20, 2008, Norris and a female colleague spent the day drinking and driving throughout the Arizona communities of Chandler, Maricopa, Casa Blanca, Casa Grande and Sacaton. Norris collided with a bicyclist, a 60-year-old Gilbert, Ariz., man who was cross-training in preparation for a marathon.

Mashantucket Pequot Pharmacy Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Embezzlement Charge (U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut)
Nora R. Dannehy, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Deidre Eccleston, 43, of New London, Conn., pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2009, before to one count of embezzlement from an Indian Tribal organization. According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately July 2006 to January 2009, Eccleston was employed as an administrative assistant at the Mashantucket Pequot Pharmacy, which is located adjacent to the Foxwoods Casino. Eccleston’s responsibilities at the pharmacy included collecting and depositing cash and checks received by the pharmacy. Beginning in approximately March 2007, Eccleston admitted that she began depositing only the checks she had received and embezzled $41,256 in cash that was entrusted to her care.

Henry Angus Badbear Sentenced in U.S. District 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 Billings, Mont., on Nov. 4, 2009, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, Henry Angus Badbear, a 48-year-old resident of Crow Agency, was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Badbear was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to being a felon-in-possession of a firearm and ammunition.

San Carlos Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Murdering Phoenix Man (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Melvin Pascal Nash, 23, of San Carlos, Ariz., a member of the San Carlos Apache Indian Tribe, was sentenced on Nov. 4, 2009, to 25 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg. Nash pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2009, to second degree murder. On Aug. 28, 2008, near San Carlos Lake on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation, Nash, with the aid and assistance of co-defendant Mason James Henry, shot and killed a Phoenix man. The victim had been temporarily in the area working as a security guard for a construction project and had no prior association with either of the defendants.

Red Lake Man Indicted for Sexually Abusing Two Boys (U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota)
A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 21-year-old Red Lake man for allegedly sexually abusing two boys (ages 6 and 7) on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. In an indictment filed with the U.S. District Court on Nov. 4, 2009, Eagle Wind Lajeunesse was charged with one count of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of abusive sexual contact.

Third Individual Pleads Guilty to Stealing from the Red Cloud Indian School (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Elmarie Tobacco Thunderhawk, age 30, of Pine Ridge, S.D., appeared before U.S. District Judge Richard H. Battey on Nov. 4, 2009, and pleaded guilty to an indictment that charged her with larceny. The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Thunderhawk (and two other individuals) stole money and inventory from the Heritage Center, Red Cloud Indian School in excess of $1,000.

Woman Pleads Guilty to Making False Statement Concerning Sexual Assault Investigation (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Vanna Chief Eagle aka Vanna Fast Wolf, age 19, of Oglala, S.D., pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, 2009, to an indictment that charged her with making a false statement. The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Chief Eagle stated and represented in an investigative interview that she and her sister were sexually abused and assaulted by an uncle, when in fact, she knew that to be false.

Man Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Donald Bettelyoun, age 41, of Pine Ridge, S.D., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on Nov. 3, 2009, and pleaded guilty to a superseding information that charged him with embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. Bettelyoun was hired and paid $17,552.00, which represented an 80 percent down payment of a construction contract with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Home Improvement Program, but failed to satisfy any terms of the contract and finish the home improvement work.

Northern Ariz. Man Sentenced for Involuntary Manslaughter (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Amos John, Jr., 42, of Lake Many Farms, Ariz., was sentenced on Nov. 3, 2009, by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt to 46 months in federal prison. John pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2009, to a charge of involuntary manslaughter as a result of his role in a motor vehicle collision on Oct. 13, 2008, on the Navajo Nation that killed an adult man. John admitted he was intoxicated when he drove his girlfriend’s car from a dirt road into the Northbound lane of U.S. Route 191, north of Chinle, Ariz., and struck a truck traveling north. The victim, a passenger in the truck, was ejected from the vehicle and later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Two men Indicted for Theft from a Casino on Indian Land (U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma)
Thomas Scott Woodward, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, announced on Nov. 3, 2009, that William Reece Lancaster and Mark Vernon Edmiston were indicted for conspiracy and theft from a gaming establishment on Indian Land in excess of $1,000. Lancaster, 49, and Vernon, 45, both of Joplin, Mo., are accused of working in concert with each other to use and cash-in counterfeit poker chips at the Seneca Cayuga Grand Lake Casino near Grove. The indictment alleges that several times last September and October, the defendants carried out their fraudulent scheme inside the casino and met afterwards in the parking lot outside to split their illegally obtained cash proceeds. The loss to the casino is estimated at over $25,000.

Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana on Indian Reservation (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced on Nov. 3, 2009, that Albert Broken Rope, age 27, of Pine Ridge, S.D., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The mandatory minimum and maximum penalty upon conviction is five to 40 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine, or both. Broken Rope pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute marijuana on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Two Gang Members Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drive-By Shooting (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Angel Fulwilder, 19, a member of the Salt River Indian Community, and Carlton Justin, 21, a member of the Gila River Indian Community were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton. Fulwilder was sentenced on Nov. 2, 2009, to 21 months in federal prison, and Justin was sentenced on Nov. 3, 2009, to 72 months in federal prison. Both defendants pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. On Feb. 17, 2009, the victim was standing outside of a house on the Gila River Indian Reservation with his girlfriend, their 2-year-old son, and his girlfriend’s sister. Occupants of the car driven by Fulwilder, front seat passenger, Carlton Justin and a third man in the back seat, yelled out gang references. Fulwilder drove the car slowly by the victim’s location as Justin fired a round from the passenger-side front window. The round struck the victim in the foot.

Man Sentenced for Assault on Wind River Indian Reservation (U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming)
Dillon Yellowbear, 26, of Arapahoe, Wyo., was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on Nov. 2, 2009, to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,704.53 in restitution. On Aug. 28, 2009, Yellowbear was convicted by a jury of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. Both counts arose from a May 2009, incident where Yellowbear stabbed a man in the chest and shot a woman in the arm with a pellet gun while at a health clinic parking lot on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Northern Ariz. Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Aggravated Assault (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Yazzie Allen, 50, of Moenave, Ariz., was sentenced on Nov. 2, 2009, by U.S. District Judge James A. Teilborg to 27 months in federal prison followed by a six month placement in an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program while on three years of supervised release. Allen pleaded guilty on Aug. 20, 2009 to a domestic assault which occurred on the Navajo Nation. On Feb. 6, 2009, after spending most of the day drinking, Allen became enraged and assaulted his partner by pummeling her with his hands and feet causing serious injury. A family member of Allen’s came to her aid which allowed the victim an opportunity to escape.

Mesa Woman Sentenced to Over Two Years in Prison for Theft of Almost $650,000 From Her Former Employer (U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona)
Yolanda Enos, 46, of Mesa, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake on Nov. 2, 2009, to 27 months in prison. She was also ordered to pay $649,675 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service for the felony offense of theft in excess of $1,000 on an Indian Reservation. Enos pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2009. Enos admitted that between Jan. 3, 2002, and Jan. 31, 2006, she stole approximately $649,675 while working as the office manager for Noline and Smith L.L.C., doing business as JR’s Convenience Store, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Enos admitted she accomplished the thefts while working as the trusted bookkeeper of her employer.

Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement from a Health Care Provider (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Dallas, S.D., woman charged with embezzling from a health care provider was sentenced on Nov. 2, 2009. Rebecca Jo Jacobsen, 46, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $291,526.34. Between Jan. 1, 2000, and Sept. 30, 2008, Jacobsen was employed as the business office manager and as the corporate compliance officer of the Community Memorial Hospital and Community Pharmacy in Burke, S.D. She admitted that during that time frame, she embezzled $244,773.52 from the hospital and another $46,752.82 from the pharmacy. She took checks made out to supposed vendors, then fabricated and altered those checks to make them payable to herself.

Guilty Plea in Arson Case (U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota)
U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, S.D., man charged with arson was sentenced on Nov. 2, 2009, by U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann. Caleb Blue Arm, age 25, was sentenced to 41 months in prison, five years of supervised release, $29,650.02 in restitution, and $100 special assessment to the Victim’s assistance Fund. Blue Arm was indicted for first degree burglary and arson by a federal grand jury on March 18, 2009. The charges relate to a Nov. 27, 2008, fire at the Prairie Apartment Complex in Eagle Butte, which Blue Arm admitted maliciously starting. Blue Arm pleaded guilty to Arson on Aug. 3, 2009.

Bernard Noel Youpee Sentenced in U.S. District 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 Nov. 2, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Bernard Noel Youpee, a 43-year-old resident of Brockton, was sentenced to a term of 60 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Youpee was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to aggravated sexual abuse. Both the victim and Youpee are Indian persons and the events occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

Woman Sentenced for Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization (U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma)
Sheldon J. Sperling, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced on Nov. 2, 2009, that Donna Sue Jones, aka Donna Sue Scott, age 47, of Stilwell, Okla., was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $10,222.00 in restitution for embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. Charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. Jones was indicted in June 2009, and pleaded guilty in July 2009. From on or about September 2005, and continuing through August 2007, Jones, an employee of the Cherokee Nation Human Services Department, fraudulently processed applications and issued checks from the General Assistance Program.

Jason X. Dennis Sentenced in U.S. District Court (U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana)
Bill Mercer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, announced on Nov. 2, 2009, that during a federal court session in Great Falls before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Jason X. Dennis, a 39-year-old resident of Wapato, Wash., was sentenced to a term of 37 months in prison and six years of supervised release. Dennis was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine in public housing. On Sept. 2, 2006, a confidential informant for the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force purchased cocaine from Dennis. The sale took place at a residence in the Glacier Heights neighborhood in Browning, which is in or within 1,000 feet of a Housing and Urban Development community, within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Jesse Lee Knife Sentenced in U.S. District 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, Mont., on Nov. 2, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Jesse Lee Knife, a 29-year-old resident of Box Elder, was sentenced to a term of 63 months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $38,898.82 in restitution. Knife was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Related Stories:
'Tribal Justice News' from Department of Justice (11/3)
'Tribal Justice News' from Justice Department (10/6)
'Tribal Justice News' from Justice Department (9/30)