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News you can use
HELENA (AP) — A judge has scheduled a trial next month for two former executives of an online lending company owned by the Chippewa Cree Tribe.
Neal Rosette and Billi Anne Morsette have pleaded not guilty to embezzling more than $55,000 in tribal funds. Prosecutors say they funneled the money through the lending company, First American Capital Resources, to themselves and former tribal councilman John “Chance” Houle.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris set a Oct. 26 trial date in Great Falls if a plea agreement is not reached by Oct. 12.
Houle is serving a 5 1/2 -year prison sentence under separate embezzlement and tax-evasion plea deal that protects him from future prosecutions.
Rosette and Morsette started with First American in 2010, then played leading roles with the tribe’s new online lending company, Plain Green.
The companies followed Rocky Boy’s first online lending effort, the payday loan company PDL Ventures that the Chippewa Cree Tribe started in 2008, amidst speculation it was lending its tribal sovereignty to off-reservation companies trying to evade state and federal lending regulations.
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Havre Daily News staff contributed to this report.
Reader Comments(1)
rbcitizen writes:
I don't think Judge Morris knows what his doing, I think we the people of Rocky Boy need a new judge for this corruption on this reservation. The seriousness of these crimes, these criminals are not getting what they deserve. Morsette and Rosette need to plead guilty, and Chance is name is going to come into play on every corruption case on Rocky Boy. This Judge needs to change that immune status is getting, he is the ring leader of this corruption on Rocky Boy.
09/11/2015, 1:46 pm