Former tribal chairman who clashed with Gov. Kristi Noem guilty of embezzlement
Oglala Sioux president used tribal travel funds to gamble
A former tribal chairman who clashed with Gov. Kristi Noem was jailed Thursday after a jury found him guilty of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the tribe he led.
Julian Bear Runner, the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from 2018 to 2020, faces prison when he’s sentenced at a date yet to be determined. He was found guilty on six counts of wire fraud, one count of larceny and one count of embezzlement from a tribal organization.
According to a four-page affidavit, Bear Runner developed a scheme in January 2019 to personally enrich himself with tribal funds.
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