Montana Tops Federal Corruption Prosecutions

Montana has had more corruption prosecutions than any other federal court district in the nation in recent months.

According to a study from a Syracuse University-affiliated research group, 18 people were prosecuted on federal corruption charges in Montana between October 2013 and April 2014. No other federal judicial district in the nation had more than 15.

The state's U.S. Attorney's Office credits an effort to target fraud in tribal programs for the ranking.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Rostad tells the Great Falls Tribune that fighting corruption has become a focus for Montana's federal attorneys.

He pointed to a case involving the siphoning of funds for a $33 million water project on the Rocky Boy's Reservation as an example.