Informational: Federal Court Arraignment

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on May 14, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Strong, the following individual was arraigned:

JAMES HOWARD EASTLICK, a 69-year-old resident of Laurel, appeared on appeared on charges of:

Count I: Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

Penalty: Five years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

Counts II-VI: Scheme to Defraud the United States and the Chippewa Cree Tribe/ Wire Fraud

Penalty: 20 years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

Count VII: Theft of Federal Monies

Penalty: Ten years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

Count VIII: Theft from an Indian Tribal Government Receiving Federal Funding

Penalty: Ten years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

Count IX: Receipt of Stolen Money in Interstate Commerce

Penalty: Ten years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

Counts X-XVII: Money Laundering

Penalty: Ten years imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release)

EASTLICK pled not guilty to the charges and is currently released on special conditions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl E. Rostad is the prosecutor for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Interior - Office of Inspector General, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The charge, an indictment, information or complaint, is merely an accusation and all persons named as defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.