Two former Crow Creek Tribal Court clerks have been sentenced in federal court for Embezzlement.
68-year-old Kathleen Goodlow of Fort Thompson and 41-year-old Christine Reed of Pukwana each pled guilty to Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Goodlow was sentenced to federal custody for 1 month, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,255 restitution. Reed was sentenced to 2 years of probation and also ordered to pay $5,255 restitution.
According to court documents, from August 2017 through October 2018, Goodlow and Reed embezzled over $5,000 belonging to the Crow Creek Tribal Court.
The cases were part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Guardians Project. The Guardians Project is a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies to hold accountable those who are adversely affecting people living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities.
South Dakota U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons says the cases demonstrate the success the Guardians Project has had since its inception in South Dakota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. He says the Project has secured dozens of convictions involving millions of dollars that were unlawfully diverted by a few people who were in positions of trust and power.
