Bear Runner to Serve Prison Time and Repay Embezzled Funds
A former leader of the Oglala Sioux Tribe has been sentenced to prison and ordered to repay funds he embezzled during his time in office.
Guilty Verdict Leads to Prison Sentence
Julian Bear Runner, 39, the tribe’s former president, was convicted in April on six counts of wire fraud, larceny, and embezzlement. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Linda Reade sentenced Bear Runner to 22 months in prison, served concurrently for each charge. He will also be subject to three years of supervised release upon his release.
Scheme Involved Fake Travel Vouchers
According to a 2022 federal indictment, Bear Runner submitted false vouchers while serving as president in 2019 and 2020. These vouchers claimed official travel to other states that Bear Runner never undertook. Authorities allege he used these fraudulent claims to receive approximately $80,000 in checks, which he then cashed for personal expenses such as gambling and hotels.
Restitution Ordered for Tribe
As part of the sentencing, Bear Runner is required to repay the tribe roughly $82,000 in restitution. Attempts to reach Bear Runner’s public defender and current Tribal President Frank Star Comes Out for comment were unsuccessful.
