Fort Thompson Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Embezzling Funds from the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe

PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a woman from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, who was convicted of Embezzlement from an Indian Tribal Organization. The sentencing took place on July 21, 2025.

Mariah Pearl Sazue, age 35, was sentenced to three months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $44,627.25 in restitution to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Sazue was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. She pleaded guilty on April 17, 2025.

Sazue served as the Human Resources Director for the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe between June 2022 and May 2024. In December 2022, Sazue began submitting timesheets with forged signatures and grossly inflated overtime hours. In total, Sazue received $44,627.25 in excess overtime pay before being fired for fraud in May 2024. When confronted, Sazue claimed she would never take advantage of the tribe.   

This case was investigated by the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.

Sazue was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.