News you can use

Parker out with no bond, awaiting sentencing

Havre Daily News/Nikki Carlson

Raymond "Jake" Parker Jr., left, former Chippewa Cree tribal chairman, leaves the federal courthouse in Great Falls Tuesday afternoon after pleading guilty to embezzling from the tribe.

Raymond "Jake" Parker Jr. is out without bail to await sentencing for stealing from the Chippewa Cree Tribe at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, with the judge and both lawyers in the case agreeing that the former tribal council chair is not a flight risk.

Parker, who resigned as tribal council chair on Monday, pleaded guilty in federal District Court in Great Falls Tuesday to embezzling nearly $60,000 from the tribe by using a tribal credit card for his own expenses.

Federal Magistrate Keith Strong, who held the hearing, said he would recommend Federal Judge Sam Haddon accept the plea.

The penalty for the charge, theft from an Indian tribal organization, is for up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. Strong noted that restitution in the case is mandatory.

Strong told Parker that he had up to 14 days to object to Strong's recommendation — essentially an opportunity to try to withdraw his plea. After that period, Haddon can sign the recommendation and accept Parker's plea.

Haddon had scheduled Sept. 15 as the sentencing hearing date.

U. S. Deputy Attorney Michael Lahr told Strong that, after reviewing Parker's history, his ties to the community and probability of his being a danger to the community, the state saw no reason to consider him a danger or flight risk, and had no objection to his being released without bail.

Dan Donovan of Great Falls, Parker's attorney, agreed and added that Parker had been cooperating with the authorities in the investigation since December.

Strong said that, with those facts in mind and also looking at Parker's actions and attitudes in court Tuesday, that he agreed that requiring bond would be "inappropriate. "

Strong repeatedly advised Parker of his rights and asked if he realized the consequences of the charges and his giving up those rights.

By entering a guilty plea, Parker is admitting to the offense, Strong said.

"A guilty plea is a conviction just as if a jury had convicted you of a felony, " he said.

The next step will be a pre-sentence investigation, which the officer will then use to write a recommended guideline for sentencing. Haddon will review the investigation report and write his own sentencing guidelines.

Strong said that Haddon is under no obligation to follow his own or the probation officer's guidelines, but noted that Parker has agreed not to appeal the sentence if it follows those guidelines.

Donovan said Parker also will not object to the restitution ordered up to the full $58,938.23 charged on the card between May 10, 2009, and Nov. 19, 2010.

"He felt that, since he was the one doing the charges, he was responsible for that amount, " Donovan said.

 

Reader Comments(0)