A federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge married couple on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, 14 counts of Wire Fraud, one count of Larceny, and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Patrick Fire Thunder and Tracie Renay Gallego, both 51, were indicted earlier this month. They recently before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Haigh and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
Between November 2022 and November 2024, at Pine Ridge, Fire Thunder and Gallego, both enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST), acted together to obtain and embezzle checks from OST intended to be paid to Emergency Youth Shelter (EYS) vendors or reimbursement checks from the State of South Dakota to OST for social services provided to youth at the EYS. Gallego was the Administrative Assistant for the EYS and responsible for submitting vouchers to OST for payment to the EYS vendors. After submitting the vouchers and obtaining OST checks for payment to the EYS vendors, Fire Thunder and Gallego deposited the checks into Fire Thunder’s personal bank account and then transferred the money to various other accounts and used the money for their own personal benefit.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and $100 assessment on each count to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Forfeiture and restitution may also be ordered.
U.S. Attorney’s Office