Fort Yates Man Sentenced for Obstructing a Federal Investigation

BISMARCK, ND—United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on August 31, 2009, Donald C. Luger, a/k/a Jody Luger, 58, of Fort Yates, North Dakota, pled guilty and was sentenced before United States District Court Chief Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of altering or concealing a tangible object in a federal investigation.

Judge Hovland sentenced Luger to serve three years of probation, during which time he will be placed at Centre, Inc., a halfway house in Mandan, for one year and one day. Luger was ordered to pay restitution of $8914 for funeral expenses and to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim's Fund.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Indian Affairs were conducting an investigation into the death of Alfred Agard, 47, of Fort Yates, North Dakota, who was struck by a vehicle and killed during the evening hours of November 15, 2008, as he crossed a roadway on foot toward the Club Diamond Z bar in the Sioux Village area of Fort Yates. The operator of the striking vehicle did not remain at the scene of the collision.

During the course of the investigation, federal agents spoke with Luger, the bar owner, multiple times. At his plea hearing, Luger admitted that he was the driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Agard, and that he had another person take his vehicle to a body shop in Pierre, South Dakota, for repairs in an effort to avoid detection. Luger acknowledged that he had lied to the federal investigators by telling them he had sold his vehicle on a date prior to the collision. Federal agents were able to seize Luger’s vehicle at the body shop in Pierre prior to repairs being completed.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Standing Rock Agency and North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorney Rick Volk prosecuted the case.