I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.
Aug. 27, 1996
By Devlyn Brooks
Staff Writer
Members of the recently formed Leech Lake General Council and Tribal Council Chairman Eli Hunt want federal District Judge Michael Davis to sentence former state Sen. Harold "Skip" Finn, and two other tribal officials who have been found guilty of misappropriating tribal funds, to the federally allowed maximum penalties for their crimes.
More than 35 members of the local Indian councils that comprise Leech Lake have signed a document supporting maximum penalties in the sentencing of Finn, former Tribal Chairman Alfred "Tig" Pemberton and current Tribal Secretary Dan Brown.
A full meeting of all 12 of Leech Lake's local Indian councils gathered Aug. 21 to discuss writing the letter to Davis, who will sentence the three Sept. 5 in Minneapolis. In a simple, hand-written letter, the local council members ask the judge to levy a maximum sentence for all three:
"We the duly-elected officers and representatives of the Leech Lake Reservation local Indian councils demand, as victims of the crimes perpetrated by (Brown), (Pemberton) and (Finn), that the maximum sentences allowed by federal law be imposed upon them, and further that they be required to make full restitution to the Leech Lake Reservation people."
In addition, Hunt wrote a letter to Davis supporting maximum penalties also. Hunt's letter was sent with the letter from the local Indian councils.
"As you can see from the statement from the community representatives, a large majority of people on the Leech Lake Reservation are extremely upset about the theft of tribal funds," Hunt's letter states, and "contrary to some previous (newspaper) articles during the trial, the people of Leech Lake do not support the convicted criminals."
In closing, Hunt's letter states that "this will send a strong message to the people of Leech Lake that there is justice and also send a message to the existing (tribal) leadership that misuse of tribal funds will not be tolerated."
Finn, Pemberton and Brown were convicted in April after a jury found them guilty of conspiring to use an insurance fund scheme to steal $1.1 million from the Leech Lake Reservation. Finn was found guilty on 12 of 22 counts, including conspiracy, theft and mail fraud. Pemberton was convicted on three of nine counts, including conspiracy, theft of tribal funds and theft from programs receiving tribal funds. Brown was found guilty on one felony count of conspiracy to misappropriate tribal funds. All three have remained free on bond since their convictions.
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