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 3 months in custody and 6 months of home confinement, 3 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 Aug. 13, 2013. She pled guilty to Theft From an Indian Tribal Organization on Dec. 18, 2013.
The conviction arose from incidents that occurred between Oct. 1, 2010, and Oct. 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
