Update: After 11 hours of deliberations, the jury acquitted Theodore Hogan. "I�m absolutely relieved," he told The Billings Gazette.

A federal jury began deliberations on Thursday in the fraud case of Theodore J. Hogan, a former official of the Crow Tribe of Montana.

Hogan was convicted of corruption in 1990 after serving as secretary for the tribe. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay $35,100 in restitution.

Hogan was paying off the money but federal prosecutors say he lied about his financial situation. They say he took in more than $1 million in various schemes and failed to report it to the federal government.

Hogan testified in his own defense. He said he never lied and told the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana that all the information they needed was with his accountant.

Hogan said the millions he took in was not his money but was for investments for a minerals development project on the reservation. He had been hired by the tribe as a consultant but was terminated in 2005.

Get the Story:
Hogan jury deliberations resume today (The Billings Gazette 1/12)

Relevant Links:
Way of the Ancients - http://www.wayoftheancients.com
Crow Tribe - http://www.crownations.net

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