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Six people indicted as Guardians Project continues in Montana






The logo for the Guardians Project. Image from U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana continues to rack up a record number of tribal corruption cases.

Six more people were just indicted for crimes on the Rocky Boy's Reservation, home to the Chippewa Cree Tribe, and on the Fort Peck Reservation, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. That brings the number of active tribal corruption cases to at least 24.

About half of those cases originated on Rocky Boy's and the list keeps growing. Two people -- former Stone Child College President Melody Henry, and her husband, Frank Gregory Henry, the college's facilities department manager -- just pleaded not guilty to four counts of conspiracy to embezzle, theft and bribery, The Havre Daily News reported.

Over at Fort Peck, a husband and wife and their two daughters were just indicted on charges of wire fraud, theft from a local government receiving federal funding and aggravated identity theft. Desiree Lambert, her husband Bernard Lambert Jr., and Kayla and Kaycee are accused of stealing funds from the town of Brockton.

As part of the Guardians Project, the U.S. Attorney's Office has been investigating corruption in Indian Country since 2011.

Get the Story:
Henrys indicted on Rocky Boy embezzlement (The Havre Daily News 9/23)
Families from 2 reservations charged with theft (AP 9/22)

Related Stories:
Another guilty plea comes in Chippewa Cree Tribe corruption case (08/19)
Chippewa Cree man sentenced to 7 1/2 years in corruption case (8/15)
Chippewa Cree Tribe takes Original Americans Foundation money (08/01)
Former employee sentenced for theft from Chippewa Cree Tribe (7/29)
Tribal corruption cases put Montana on top of prosecution list (7/14)
Ex-employee found guilty of stealing from Chippewa Cree Tribe (06/27)
Another person pleads guilty for Chippewa Cree Tribe scandal (5/13)
Former lawmaker pleads guilty in Chippewa Cree corruption case (04/03)
More criminal cases filed in thefts from Chippewa Cree Tribe (10/30)
Chairman of Chippewa Cree Tribe blocked from taking office (10/08)
Group forms to battle corruption on reservations in Montana (10/4)
New indictment in theft case involving Chippewa Cree Tribe (10/2)
Chippewa Cree Tribe delays swearing-in of chair amid challenge (08/08)

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