Former Tribal President Gets Prison for Fraud, Owes $25k
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The former president of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe in Montana was sentenced Thursday to six months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution for receiving improper travel reimbursements.
L. Jace Killsback pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and false claims conspiracy.
Prosecutors sought a 10-month prison sentence while defense attorney Dion Killsback, who is the defendant’s brother, recommended a probationary sentence, The Billings Gazette reported.
The defense also disputed the restitution amount, saying the reimbursement losses were just over $14,000.
Killsback sought reimbursement from multiple state, tribal or federal agencies for at least 10 trips made between September 2015 and September 2017 while serving on state and national boards, prosecutors said. They allege he inflated costs for at least 28 other trips.
Killsback was tribal health director before becoming president of the southeastern Montana tribe in November 2016. The tribal council voted him out in October 2017. He won a special election in January 2018 and resigned that October.