6 Mont. residents charged with stealing from tribe

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) – Six former employees of the Fort Peck Tribes’ Credit Department have been charged with stealing at least $1 million from the organization.

Prosecutors say the group issued and approved fraudulent loans and other payments for themselves and family members, and then altered records to conceal the loans from authorities.

All six have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They face at least five years in prison if convicted.

Fort Peck Tribal Chairman A.T. “Rusty” Stafne says the tribes discovered the alleged embezzlement after taking over control of the credit department from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in December 2008.

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune,
http://www.greatfallstribune.com