PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for Theft From an Indian Tribal Organization.
Tiffany LaClaire, age 35, was indicted in July of 2022. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on October 31, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to five years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that between July 17, 2021, and March 23, 2022, LaClaire did knowingly steal, embezzle, willfully misapply, and convert to her use, the moneys, funds, and assets belonging to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, an Indian Tribal Organization, in an amount greater than $1,000.
The charge is merely an accusation and LaClaire is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Miller is prosecuting the case.
LaClaire was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has been set for January 3, 2023.