Mandaree Women Plead Guilty to Theft

BISMARCK, ND—United States Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on August 11, 2011, Denise M. Fimbres, 24, of Mandaree, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft in Indian country. Sandy M. Young Bird, 28, of Mandaree, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to a charge accessory after the fact.

On November 25, 2010, Fimbres was employed as a store clerk with the Mandaree Enterprises Corporation C-Store. At the conclusion of her work shift, Fimbres, who was the only individual working at the store at the time, removed cash and checks exceeding $1,000 without permission or authority. Upon leaving the C-Store, Fimbres entered a pickup driven by Young Bird, and the two women left the state of North Dakota and traveled to the west coast of the United States with the stolen money.

The charge of theft in Indian country carries a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of accessory after the fact carries a statutory maximum penalty of two years and six months in federal prison and a $125,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs - Fort Berthold Agency and Three Affiliated Tribes Police Department.

Sentencing for Fimbres has been scheduled for November 21, 2011, in United States District Court in Minot, North Dakota, at 1:00 p.m.

Sentencing for Young Bird has been scheduled for November 21, 2011, in United States District Court in Minot, North Dakota, at 11:00 a.m.

Assistant United States Attorney Rick Volk is prosecuting the case.