Sheryl Lynn Lawrence, Theft and Wire Fraud, Montana 2017

Sheryl Lynn Lawrence, former executive director of the Montana Native Women’s Coalition, charged in $318,008 grant theft scheme

BILLINGS, Montana – In a shocking turn of events, Sheryl Lynn Lawrence, 43, of Colstrip, has been charged in a scheme to steal federal grant money to make unapproved trips to Las Vegas and to receive other unauthorized benefits. Lawrence, who was the executive director of the Montana Native Women’s Coalition, is accused of committing the crime alongside two board officials, Meredith McConnell, 50, of Busby, and Barbara Mary Daychief, 43, of Browning.

The indictment alleges that Lawrence, McConnell, and Daychief committed travel fraud, received travel payments on non-approved trips, including to Las Vegas, received and authorized double-payment for “days in service,” authorized unapproved construction projects, and took other benefits they were not entitled to receive. The crime is believed to have occurred between August 2017 and March 2018.

The Montana Native Women’s Coalition receives funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, which provides grants for victim services. From October 2017 to September 2018, the OVAW awarded the Coalition $318,008 in federal funds.

Lawrence, McConnell, and Daychief were charged in a superseding indictment and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan. Lawrence pleaded not guilty to four counts, including theft from a program receiving federal funding, wire fraud, false claims act, and misprision of a felony. McConnell and Daychief pleaded not guilty as well.

If convicted of the most serious crime, the defendants face a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This is not the first time the Montana Native Women’s Coalition has been embroiled in a scandal. In March 2017, the Coalition’s previous executive director, Toni Louise Plummer-Alvernaz, pleaded guilty to fraud for stealing from the Coalition. Plummer-Alvernaz was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and ordered to pay $246,024 restitution.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Weldon and Bryan Dake. The investigation was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/montana-native-women-s-coalition-board-executive-director-charged-theft-grant-funding