Blackfeet consultant convicted for kickbacks

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) – A federal jury has convicted a consultant for the Blackfeet Indian tribe on more than two dozen charges in a scheme to defraud a $9.3 million mental health program.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris set a Sept. 4 sentencing for Gary Conti.

Conti was found guilty Thursday of 21 counts of wire fraud along with false claims, theft of federal property, theft from a tribe, money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the government.

Conti was convicted of bankruptcy fraud during his first trial in March, but jurors couldn’t reach a verdict on the other fraud charges.

Prosecutors said the retired Oklahoma State University professor kicked back more than $230,000 from a federally funded project to accounts controlled by the program’s leaders. Conti’s attorney has said tribal leaders perpetuated the fraud.