Indian activist known for anti-mascot work pleads guilty to theft

Thursday, May 17, 2018  

Robert Roche, the executive director of the American Indian Education Center in Ohio, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of federal funds.

Roche, 71, admitted he used more than $77,000 from the organization for personal purposes. The money had come from a federal grant program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“This defendant stole from taxpayers and betrayed the Native American families he purported to help,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said in a press release on Wednesday. “He took tens of thousands of dollars designated for mental health and wellness programs and put the money in his own pockets.”

But Roche wasn't the only one involved. Craig McGuire, who helped solicit the federal grant, also pleaded guilty to theft, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Roche, who is Apache, is well known for his protests against the professional baseball team in Cleveland. He appeared in an iconic 2014 photo which showed him talking to a fan dressed in feathers and wearing paint. The fan returned two years later and apologized, Cleveland Scene reported at the time.

Roche is due for sentencing on August 29. He faces between 10 and 16 months in federal prison, according to news reports, but it will be up to a judge to determine his punishment.

McGuire also awaits sentencing.

Read More on the Story:
Prominent Chief Wahoo protester pleads guilty to stealing federal money meant for Native Americans (Cleveland.Com May 16, 2018)
Local American Indian Leader from Viral Chief Wahoo Protest Photo Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement (Cleveland Scene May 16, 2018)
Chief Wahoo protester pleads guilty to theft of grant money (The Associated Press May 17, 2018)

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The Conversation: Sorry but 'Chief Wahoo' isn't going anywhere soon (February 8, 2018)
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