Wanblee Man Pleads Guilty to Larceny

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Jeffrey Chipps, age 21, of Wanblee, South Dakota, appeared before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken on October 20, 2011, and pled guilty to count 3 of an indictment that charged him with Larceny. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 5 years’ imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.

The charge relates to Chipps stealing a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer from Wanblee on April 25, 2011. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.

A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for January 13, 2012. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.