Amen Sheridan, Fraud, Nebraska 2015

Walthill, NE – Former Chairman of the Omaha Indian Tribe, Amen Sheridan, was sentenced in September 2015 after pleading guilty to fraud related to the misuse of funds intended for tribal housing assistance. The case, investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, revealed a scheme to illegally obtain a $4,000 down payment assistance grant from the Omaha Tribal Housing Authority (OTHA).

According to court documents, Sheridan and J.W., the then-Director of OTHA and a co-resident of Sheridan, knowingly submitted falsified documents to secure the grant. The OTHA receives funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide housing assistance to eligible Omaha Tribe members. The down payment assistance program was specifically designed for first-time homebuyers meeting certain financial criteria – criteria that both Sheridan and J.W. failed to meet.

Investigators found that Sheridan and J.W.’s combined income exceeded the program’s eligibility limits. Furthermore, J.W. was not a member of the Omaha Tribe, a fact deliberately omitted from the application submitted to OTHA. J.W. prepared the fraudulent application, altering details from the original mortgage loan documents. Despite the clear ineligibility of both applicants, the loan was approved on the same day it was submitted, bypassing the standard committee review process and being signed off by a single OTHA employee.

The $4,000 grant was deposited into an account controlled by J.W. and subsequently used to finance the purchase of a home in Walthill, Nebraska, which was then occupied by both Sheridan and J.W. Sheridan, aware of the falsified documents prepared by J.W., actively participated in the scheme by signing the fraudulent application, effectively enabling the illegal procurement of funds.

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Legal Ramifications

Sheridan was initially charged on February 19, 2014, with providing false statements, a violation of Title 18 U.S. Criminal Code, Section 3 (18 U.S.C. §3), which addresses false statements and concealment of material facts. After pleading guilty on June 15, 2015, Sheridan was sentenced on September 14, 2015, to 24 months of probation, a $100 federal fine, and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution, representing the full amount of the fraudulently obtained down payment assistance.

Key Facts

Defendant: Amen Sheridan
Location: Walthill, Nebraska
Crime: Fraudulent acquisition of housing assistance funds
Victim: Omaha Tribal Housing Authority (OTHA) & U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Amount of Fraud: $4,000
Statute Violated: 18 U.S.C. §3
Penalty: 24 months probation, $100 fine, $4,000 restitution

The case highlights the vulnerability of tribal programs to fraud and the importance of rigorous oversight to ensure that limited resources reach those who are legitimately eligible. The EPA’s involvement, though not directly environmental, demonstrates the agency’s broader mandate to investigate financial crimes impacting federal programs.

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

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