Eagle Butte Woman Sentenced for Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Eagle Butte, South Dakota woman convicted of theft from an Indian tribal organization was sentenced on March 10, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.

Kristi Lynn Lawrence, age 41, was sentenced to three months in custody and six months of home confinement, three years of supervised release with conditions, $87,809.18 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Lawrence was indicted for theft from an Indian tribal organization and tampering with documents by a federal grand jury on August 13, 2013. She pled guilty to theft from an Indian tribal organization on December 18, 2013.

The conviction arose from incidents that occurred between October 1, 2010 and October 15, 2012, when Lawrence was an employee of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Police Department. During that time, Lawrence manipulated her time sheets after her supervisor signed them and before she personally delivered them to the payroll department, to include several hours of unauthorized overtime pay. She was paid for such unauthorized and unworked overtime hours and used the funds for her own purposes.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Hoffman prosecuted the case.

Lawrence was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.