Crow Creek Chairman Pleads Not Guilty To Conspiracy

PIERRE, SD – The chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has pleaded not guilty in federal court to conspiracy charges.  Sixty-one-year-old Duane Big Eagle Sr. earlier was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a tribal official and bribery involving an agent of an Indian tribal government.  U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange on Tuesday released Big Eagle on his own recognizance.
The charges against Big Eagle are related to alleged incidents dating back to 2005. Among the accusations are that Big Eagle received kickbacks on construction contracts.

© 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved