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Seminole Man Sentenced for Obstruction

U.S. Attorney’s Office June 05, 2009
  • Eastern District of Oklahoma (918) 684-5100

MUSKOGEE, OK—Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that RICKY VAN DEER, age 48, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 5 months’ imprisonment, followed by 24 months of supervised release of which 5 months will be on home detention for Obstruction of the Due Administration of Justice, a violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1503.

“The indictment alleged that from August 2000, until approximately March 2004, DEER, a former Seminole Nation Council Member and Seminole Nation Development Authority Trustee, conspired with other individuals to receive things of value from IVY ONG, d/b/a/ Carlo World Wide Operations, LLC, in order to secure and maintain contractual relationships with the Seminole Nation to pursue gaming opportunities,” U.S. Attorney Sperling noted. 

“IVY KWOK ONG, a/k/a Ivy Ong, age 65, of El Paso, TX, the operator of Carlo Worldwide Operations, LLC (Carlo), a Nevada corporation active in supplying video gaming machines to tribal casinos, pled guilty on September 21, 2007,  to a two-count felony information.  ONG was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Tax Evasion and Conspiracy to Pay and Receive Illegal Gratuities, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §371, 201(c)(1)(A)&(B) and  26 U.S.C. §720.  ONG was sentenced on May 20, 2008 to 39 months in prison and ordered to pay $199,610 in restitution,” recalled U.S. Attorney Sperling.  “ONG, who has been cooperating with the government, was to be the first witness called by the United States in today’s trial.”

“ONG provided payments and other things of value to DEER in exchange for DEER’s power to impact business transactions between the Seminole Tribe, SNDA and Carlo,” continued U.S. Attorney Sperling. "DEER received at least 16 payments totaling $44,100.00.”  

“DEER appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kimberly E. West and entered a guilty plea to obstructing justice in a grand jury investigation on December 10, 2008.  He admitted that he knew about the Grand Jury investigation and attempted to impede and subvert the investigation.  DEER admitted “creating false documents” in an effort to show a legitimate reason for the payments from IVY ONG,” added U.S. Attorney Sperling. 

“Participants in this massive investigation have included agents and investigators from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC),” stated U.S. Attorney Sheldon J. Sperling. 

“The Honorable James H. Payne, District Judge in the United States District Court, for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee presided over today’s hearing.  DEER was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons on July 8, 2009.”

“Assistant United States Attorney Linda Epperley represented the United States.”

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