DONNA M. FOUNDAGUN SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on June 19, 2006, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, DONNA M. FOUNDAGUN, a 49-year-old resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. FOUNDAGUN was sentenced to a term of:

* ? Prison: 6 months

* ? Special Assessment: $100

* ? Restitution: $2,355

* ? Supervised Release: 3 years

FOUNDAGUN was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to theft.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

In July of 2003, a man with whom FOUNDAGUN had a previous relationship with, advised authorities that someone had taken a number of blank checks from his home in East Glacier. He stated that the stolen checks were subsequently forged in the amount of approximately $3,840 and that he suspected FOUNDAGUN had stolen the checks.

On July 21, 2003, FOUNDAGUN was interviewed and admitted that she had stolen the checks. She also admitted to forging the checks and that she had cashed the forged checks at various businesses in Browning and Cut Bank.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that FOUNDAGUN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, FOUNDAGUN does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Browning.