A man who called himself Charlie Smoke and claimed Native heritage in an attempt to block his deportation from Canada has been indicted on fraud charges by a federal grand jury in South Dakota.
Smoke's real name is Charles Roger Leo Adams Jr. While in Canada, he claimed Mohawk and Lakota heritage and sometimes went by the name Leo Wolfslayer.
He was deported to the U.S. for not having proper documentation. He moved to the Pine Ridge Reservation, where he ended up in tribal jail on charges of spousal abuse and child neglect. A tribal court later determined he was non-Indian.
Back in South Dakota, Adams is charged with health care fraud, false statements and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded not guilty and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Get the Story:Man known as 'Charlie Smoke' faces fraud-related charges (CBC 3/8)
Smoke faces charges in U.S. (Saskatchewan News Network 3/7) Relevant Links:
Charlie Smoke - http://charlie_smoke.tripod.com Related Stories:
Man claiming to be Native admits fraud in court (10/22)
South Dakota tribal court rules man not Indian (10/08)
Alleged Indian man deported from Canada (4/30)
Family: Alleged Indian always wanted to be Indian (4/29)
Alleged Indian faces deportation from Can. (4/28)