Cody ties prison sentence to domestic abuse

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2002

Radmilla A. Cody, a former Miss Navajo Nation who has used her musical career to position herself as a role model in Indian Country, has been sentenced to nearly two years for her role in a drug ring that she says was linked to an abusive relationship.

Last month, U.S. District Judge H. D. Cook of the Northern District of Oklahoma sentenced Cody to 21 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release for taking part in an international drug and money laundering scheme that authorities allege was run by her ex-boyfriend. She must report to a federal facility on January 6, 2003, to carry out her sentence.

Cook entered the final judgment on November 13. Days later, Cody, who has released two albums of traditional Navajo music, performed the national anthem at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in honor of John Herrington, the first tribal member to go into space.

And soon after, Cody, 28, disclosed some -- but not all -- of the details surrounding her crime with the Navajo Nation. In letter published last week in The Navajo Times, said she was "saddened" to share the news of her imminent imprisonment.

"I was involved in a abusive relationship for six years which I thought ended over a year ago, but now the experiences of that relationship have come back to haunt me because the ex-boyfriend was involved with drugs," she wrote on December 5. "The on and off dysfunctional relationship has created a lot of hardship. But, because of certain circumstances I have been sentenced from a judge to do the time of 21 months."

Cody made a deal with federal prosecutors in March in which she pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony. She admitted to the following crimes: 1) commission of distribution of marijuana; 2) knowledge that marijuana was being distributed; 3) failing to notify authorities; and 4) attempting to conceal the crimes.

Since the agreement was made, Deal has traveled extensively in support of her career, including an early September appearance at the Native American Music Awards, where she won a NAMMY for "Best Female Artist of the Year." Later that month, her performance at the Bureau of Indian Affairs' economic development summit in Phoenix, Arizona, drew praise from Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb.

"I would suggest to the Navajo Nation that she is not a very good role model for the Navajo people," Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. Horn said in remarks that were published in The Gallup Independent yesterday. "I don't think drug dealers are very good role models."

Cody's deal freed her of a jury trial during which specific circumstances of her involvement in the crime ring, and of her relationship with Darrell Dwight Bellamy -- who was one of the U.S. Marshal Service's 15 Most Wanted fugitives until his recent arrest -- would likely be disclosed. She admitted to helping package hundreds of pounds of marijuana and helping distribute it from Phoenix to Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Michigan, and to initially lying to a grand jury about the crimes. Authorities allege Bellamy also distributed cocaine.

In public, Cody has been extremely proud of her traditional Navajo background, occasionally bringing her grandmother, who doesn't speak English, with her to events. She is also proud of her clan heritage, which includes African-American ancestry.

But court documents paint a picture of a woman who privately feared for her life and was known by the aliases of "Millie" and "Marilyn Kelly." Cody's plea deal alleges that Bellamy "would often physically strike her and threaten her with handguns."

She specifically alleges that Bellamy "in a fit of anger, put the barrel of a handgun in her mouth."

Cody is just one of many players in the drug ring. On Monday, final and more strict sentences were entered for several defendants, including life for one. Those guilty verdicts, handed down in June, were the result of a trial in federal court involving dozens of witnesses.

Bellamy is to be sentenced January 13, 2003. He agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to posses a controlled substances with intent to distribute and one count of conspiracy to money launder.

Cody was the 46th Miss Navajo Nation. She served from 1997 to 1998.

Relevant Documents:
Navajo Times Letter (December 5, 2002) | Plea Agreement (March 14, 2002) | Sentence for 21 Months (November 13, 2002)

Relevant Links:
Darrell Dwight Bellamy, 15 Most Wanted - http://www.usdoj.gov/marshals/wanted/bellamy.html
Miss Radmilla Cody - http://www.navajoland.com/missnn/millie
Miss Navajo Nation - http://www.missnavajo.org
Native American Music Awards - http://www.nammys.com