United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a man and woman from Pine Ridge, South Dakota have been indicted by a federal grand jury for a Dec. 15, 2012 incident at Pine Ridge involving the theft of over $1,000 in property and for threatening witnesses of the theft.
Michael Alford, age 31, was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 19, 2013 for Larceny and two counts of Tampering with a Witness. Philana Red Feather, a/k/a Philana Garcia, age 57, was indicted on the same date for Larceny. Alford and Red Feather appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on March 26, 2013 and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction for Alford is 20 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty upon conviction for Red Feather is 5 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
The charges are merely accusations and Alford and Red Feather are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Both were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. A trial date has been set for June 4, 2013.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
