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Indian activist known for anti-mascot work sentenced for theft

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Robert Roche, the former executive director of the American Indian Education Center in Ohio, was sentenced to four months in prison for stealing more than $77,000 in federal funds.

The organization received money through a grant program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Roche, 71, admitted he used it for personal purposes.

“This defendant stole from taxpayers and betrayed the Native American families he purported to help,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said in a press release on Wednesday. “He took tens of thousands of dollars designated for mental health and wellness programs and put the money in his own pockets.”

Here's one of those times when the phrase "Only in Cleveland" is actually an understatement. #Cleveland #Indians pic.twitter.com/rFlzrqNz4q
— Peter Pattakos (@peterpattakos) April 4, 2014

Roche, who is Apache, is well known for his protests against the professional baseball team in Cleveland. He appeared in an iconic 2014 photo which showed him talking to a fan dressed in feathers and wearing paint. The fan returned two years later and apologized, Cleveland Scene reported at the time.

In addition to serving four months in prison, Roche was sentenced to four months of home confinement and was ordered to pay $77,097.55 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of federal funds.

A second person, Craig McGuire, who helped solicit the federal grant, also pleaded guilty to theft. He awaits sentencing, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.