Five Tribal Executives, Embezzlement, South Dakota 2017

Five current and former executives of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s Big Coulee District in South Dakota have pleaded guilty to embezzling $81,542.50 from the tribe.

According to a federal indictment, Carrie Godfrey, 49, of Sisseton; Gerald German, Jr., 44, of Peever; Gerald Heminger, Jr., 56, of Sisseton; Colette White, 55, of Peever; and Calvin Max, Sr., 48, of Sisseton, conspired to embezzle, steal, and knowingly convert to their own use funds from the Big Coulee District of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe.

The scheme took place from approximately June 2010 through March 2013. The defendants are current or former executive board members of the District.

Carrie Godfrey, Gerald German, Jr., Gerald Heminger, Jr., and Colette White will face a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Calvin Max, Sr. will face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his role in stealing government property from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the financial crime investigator at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case.

Ann German, 57, of Peever, who is currently the Big Coulee District Coordinator, is scheduled for a hearing before the Court on May 30.

The case is part of the multi-agency law enforcement operation called The Guardians Project, which aims to investigate, uncover, disrupt, and prosecute public corruption, theft, and federal program fraud taking place on tribal lands in South Dakota.

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