RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Larceny and Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Mason Big Crow, age 50, was indicted in September of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollman on November 22, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to ten 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.
As the treasurer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Big Crow had nearly exclusive access to the tribe’s debit and credit card, and also had access to the tribe’s bank accounts. Between January 2021 and March 2023, Big Crow embezzled tribal funds to make personal purchases that had not been authorized by the tribe and that were used for his personal benefit.
The charges are merely an accusation and Big Crow is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case was brought pursuant to the Guardians Project, 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 agencies include: the FBI; 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; IRS Criminal Investigation; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the 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.
The investigation is being conducted by Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Big Crow was released pending trial. A trial date has not been scheduled.
