Former Tribal Official Charged With Embezzlement

A former director of the Chippewa Cree tribe's wellness center has been charged with embezzling money.

The Havre Daily News reports that 48-year-old Wilford Harlan "Huck" Sunchild pleaded not guilty Wednesday to theft from a tribal government receiving federal grants, theft from an Indian tribal organization and theft from a health care facility.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen set a Jan. 28 trial date.

The indictment says Sunchild deposited tribal funds between February and March of last year into an account that he had control over, and later withdrew the money from ATMs.

The amount Sunchild allegedly stole has not been released.

Federal prosecutors say Sunchild's prosecution is part of the Guardians Project, an initiative by the U.S. attorney's office to investigate fraud and embezzlement in Montana's Indian Country.