Prison, restitution ordered for ex-tribal leader convicted of defrauding Oglala Sioux Tribe

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a former tribal leader in South Dakota to serve nearly two years in prison and pay about $82,000 in restitution after a jury convicted him in April of defrauding his tribe. Julian Bear Runner was convicted of six counts of wire fraud in addition to larceny and embezzlement charges. In 2022, an indictment alleged the 39-year-old submitted vouchers and received about $80,000 in checks for official trips he didn’t take during his time as president of the tribe in 2019 and 2020, and spent the money on personal uses such as gambling and hotel stays.