Former Tribal Supervisor Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Organization

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a former supervisor of a tribal government department was sentenced on December 12, 2019, by U.S. Magistrate Judge William D. Gerdes.

Jerome Renville, age 42 of Peever, South Dakota, pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.  Renville was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution.  He was also ordered to pay $25 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

According to court documents, between on or about January 2015 and March 2019, in the District of South Dakota, Renville embezzled, willfully misapplied, willfully permitted to be misapplied monies, funds, credits, goods, assets, and other property belonging to the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe, an Indian Tribal Organization.  Renville was the Supervisor of the Tribe’s Facilities Maintenance for over 5 years.  While serving in that position, he willfully misapplied money and funds belonging to the Tribe; Renville used and converted those monies and funds for his own personal use.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Guardians Project is a federal law enforcement initiative to coordinate efforts between participating agencies, to promote citizen disclosure of public corruption, fraud, and embezzlement involving federal program funds, contracts, and grants, and to hold accountable those who are responsible for adversely affecting those living in South Dakota’s Indian country communities.  The Guardians Project is another step of federal law enforcement’s on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and positive action on behalf of tribal communities.  Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the participating federal agencies include: Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Offices of Inspector General for the Departments of Interior, Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Justice, and Housing and Urban Development; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; U.S. Postal Inspector Service; U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General

For additional information about The Guardians Project, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (605) 330-4400.  To report a suspected crime, please contact law enforcement at the federal agency’s locally listed telephone number.