Dana Fast Horse, Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, South Dakota 2013

Little Eagle Man Charged with Embezzlement and Theft from Indian Tribal Organization

Brendan V. Johnson, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, announced that a Little Eagle, South Dakota, man has been charged with embezzling over $1,000 from the Running Antelope District, a subdivision of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Dana Fast Horse, 46, was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 14, 2013, for Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes on November 19, 2013, and pled not guilty to the Indictment.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is 5 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, an additional 2 years of supervised release upon revocation, and a mandatory $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.

The charges are merely accusations, and Fast Horse is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The Indictment alleges that between August 15, 2013 and October 1, 2013, Fast Horse, while Vice Chairman for the Running Antelope District, willfully and unlawfully stole, embezzled, misapplied, and converted to his own use over $1,000 of the monies and funds belonging to the Running Antelope District.

The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley is prosecuting the case. Fast Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A trial date has not been set.

Johnson emphasized that the charges against Fast Horse are allegations and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The case will be prosecuted in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.

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