The Chippewa Cree Construction Corporation builds a water pipeline on the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana. Photo from Rocky Boy's / North Central Montana Rural Water System
The Chippewa Cree Tribe is refusing to repay $146,000 to the state of Montana for an alleged overbilling, The Billings Gazette reports. The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation paid for a $495,000 pipeline as part of the Rocky Boy's / North Central Montana Rural Water System. The department later determined out that the actual cost of the pipeline was $349,000 but the tribe doesn't believe there was an overbilling, according to the paper. The incident occurred when the Chippewa Cree Construction Corp., a tribal business, was run by Tony Belcourt. He admitted that he took bribes and accepted kickbacks and is serving a 7 1/2-year sentence in federal prison. His release date is March 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The tribe has agreed to repay $3.1 million to the Bureau of Reclamation in connection with $13 million in questionable costs for the water project, the Gazette reported. Get the Story:
Montana seeks $146K repayment from Chippewa Cree, claims tribe overbilled (The Billings Gazette 2/26)
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