A former member of the Tribal Council for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has been sentenced to prison for a brazen scheme to defraud the tribe.
Roderick Bell, 42, of Philadelphia, was handed down a 12-month and one-day sentence in federal prison for wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.
Bell was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2019, for allegedly defrauding the Choctaw Tribal government. Court records reveal that between April 2017 and October 2017, Bell forged hotel bills and receipts and submitted those documents to the Tribal government in claims for reimbursement for official business travel.
A guilty plea was entered by Bell on June 29, 2021 to wire fraud.
The sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves was 12 months and one day in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution to the Tribe in the amount of $11,094.15.
Bell will surrender on December 6, 2021, to complete his sentence in the custody of the United States Bureau of Prisons.
Acting U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Special Agents with the FBI’s Jackson Division who investigated the case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore Cooperstein and Kevin Payne.
Related Federal Cases
- Dallas City Council Member Bribed with Over $450K · Louisiana
- Ex-Sheriff’s Major McBurney Pleads Guilty to Citizenship Fraud · Alabama
- George Phillip Tiger, Aaron Dewayne Terry Sentenced in Tribal Bribery Scheme · Texas
- Voter Ballot Fraud Scheme Uncovered · Washington
- Española Trespasses on Tribal Lands · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption