WRIR chief judge pleads not guilty to federal drug charges
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A judge on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming has pleaded not guilty to three federal criminal charges.
KTWO-AM reports tribal Chief Judge Terri Smith was arraigned in federal court last week and was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.
A federal grand jury indicted her last month on conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, use of a communication facility to commit a drug felony and distribution of cocaine.
According to the indictment, authorities say Smith and two others conspired to distribute the prescription painkiller from November 2017 to November 2018.
She is also accused of distributing cocaine in June 2018 and of sending text messages to a co-conspirator to distribute oxycodone in April 2018.
The indictment did not detail the crimes. A trial is scheduled for July 29 in Cheyenne.
Man sentenced for driving drunk, killing 2 Warm Springs men
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man will spend nearly six years in prison for driving drunk, speeding along a dark road at night without headlights and striking and killing two young men on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports in a plea deal, Harold Blackwolf Jr. will spend the time in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the Sept. 28, 2017, crash and one count of illegally possessing a gun.
Warm Springs' public safety general manager Carmen Smith says 25-year-old Nathan Youngman and 22-year-old Eric Boise were killed in the crash.
In court, Blackwolf apologized and promised to spend time in prison working to become a better, sober person.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Maloney says Blackwolf had been drinking at a friend's home earlier that night and left the scene afterward, ditching his car and fleeing.
Man arrested in Albuquerque killing of Native woman
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police have arrested a man in the 2017 killing of a Native American woman who was fatally stabbed and found decapitated in a ditch.
Police and court records say 31-year-old Andrew Garcia Jr. was arrested Monday and remained jailed Wednesday on suspicion of murder in the killing of 39-year-old Audra Wills.
Her death stirred concern among advocates for the homeless and Native American community in Albuquerque.
Police say two friends of Garcia, 30-year-old Eric Emerson and 33-year-old Damaris Marquez, were arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence. They're accused of disposing of Willis' body.
Court records don't list defense attorneys who could comment on the allegations.
Deputy Police Chief Art Gonzalez said the arrests capped “a long and arduous investigation'' and he credited the lead detective for persevering.
