PORCUPINE, S.D. – A Porcupine man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for his role in a fraud scheme that cost the Oglala Sioux Tribe more than $4.7 million.
Fifty-six-year-old Patrick Ross was sentenced August 24 to 78 months in federal prison. He will also serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay more than $4.74 million in restitution.
Federal prosecutors say Ross and co-defendant Buffy Redfish diverted money collected through the tribe’s Tribal Employment Rights Office, or TERO, between 2017 and 2024.
According to court records, fee payments from contractors that were intended for tribal accounts were instead deposited into a bank account opened by Ross. Prosecutors say the pair split the money and used it for personal expenses, including homes and vehicles.
Officials say the stolen funds could have been used for tribal programs such as emergency assistance, utility assistance, education, and medical aid.
Redfish previously received the same 78-month federal prison sentence. The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
