Hualapai Nation Tribal Member Sentenced to Prison for Assault on a Federal Officer

PHOENIX—On January 14, 2012, Jordan Reed Sumatzkuku, 25, of Peach Springs, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 36 months in prison. Sumatzkuku was also sentenced to 12 months in prison for violating his supervised release in another case. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively for a total sentence of 48 months in prison, followed by a term of three years of supervised release. Sumatzkuku, a member of the Hualapai Nation Indian Tribe, pleaded guilty on November 7, 2012, to assault on a federal officer. Sumatzkuku’s sister, co-defendant Raema Sumatzkuku, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for assault on a federal officer on December 17, 2012.
According to court records, on July 2, 2012, when a Hualapai Nation Police officer tried to arrest Sumatzkuku’s sister, Sumatzkuku grabbed the officer, knocked him to the ground, and wrestled with the officer. The victim sustained a fracture to his left foot as a result of the assault.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Hualapai Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Christina J. Reid-Moore, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

Fort Totten Man Sentenced for Assaulting the Bureau of Indian Affairs Chief of Police on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation

FARGO—U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on January 2, 2013, Brandt Richard Yankton, a/k/a Brandt Richard Jetty, of Fort Totten, North Dakota, was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson on a charge of assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury.
Judge Erickson sentenced Yankton to 27 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Yankton was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.
Yankton, 24, pleaded guilty on August 27, 2012, to biting through the skin of the right forearm of Bureau of Indian Affairs Chief of Police Raymond Cavanaugh, while Chief Cavanaugh was arresting Yankton for a traffic violation. Chief Cavanaugh’s injury required medical attention and left a permanent scar. The incident occurred in April 2012 on the Spirit Lake Indian Reservation.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Totten Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Janice M. Morley prosecuted the case.

Current and Former Tribal Officials Charged with Stealing from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Hartford has returned two separate indictments charging Steven Thomas, 38, and Michael Thomas, 44, each with one count of theft from an Indian tribal organization and two counts of theft from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funds. Steven Thomas is the current treasurer of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, and Michael Thomas is the former chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council.
The indictment against Steven Thomas alleges that, from January 2005 through June 2008, he stole Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) funds while he was the Assistant Director of MPTN’s Department of Natural Resources Protection.
The indictment against Michael Thomas alleges that, from October 2007 through April 2009, he stole MPTN funds while serving as the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council.
If convicted of stealing from an Indian tribal organization, both men face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of stealing from an Indian tribal government receiving federal funds, both men face a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.
The indictments also include forfeiture allegations. If convicted, Steven Thomas faces forfeiture of approximately $739,743.64, and Michael Thomas faces forfeiture of $102,393.34 and two personal computers.
The defendants are scheduled to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis in New Haven on Monday, January 7, at 3:45 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Department of Interior-Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Mattei.