Ex-Blackfeet chairman gets 10 months prison in fraud case

 A former Blackfeet Nation chairman who defrauded a tribal He Start early education program through an overtime pay scheme was sentenced Monday to 10 months in prison and his plea to be spared prison time because of coronavirus was denied.

Willie Sharp's attorney h argued Bureau of Prisons was unprepared for unfolding pandemic, saying 66-year-old defendant's and health problems put him at high risk of complications if he becomes ill with virus.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris rejected Willie Sharp's request but issued a more lenient sentence than what was recommended by federal prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors h recommended about two years in prison after Sharp, who is from town of Browning, mitted to his role in stealing more than $230,000 from rthwestern Montana tribe's He Start early education program.

He Start works to break cycle of poverty by providing preschool to children from low-income families.

Prosecutor have said Sharp and his co-defendants embarked on scheme for employees to inflate overtime payments less than two weeks after ir program serving poor Native American kids was informed of a of a $160,000 budget cut by federal officials.

ft “hurt children enrolled in He Start by prohibiting purchase of books, barring ability to obtain teaching materials and cutting food nutrition programs for those who need it most” U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said in a statement.

A charge of ft from a tribal government receiving federal funding was dismissed under terms of a plea deal.

Defense attorney Andrew Huff said Sharp could t appeal under terms of plea deal. He declined furr comment.

Sharp pleed guilty to wire fraud last year after he authorized false overtime claims on more than 5,800 hours, resulting in $174,000 in payments including to his wife, Denise Sharp, program's personnel manr. scheme took place over a 15-month period starting in 2013, prosecutors said.

Denise Sharp and four ors were convicted and sentenced to eight or nine months in prison.

Morris ordered Sharp and or defendants to pay $174,000 in restitution.

After fraud was uncovered, Blackfeet Tribe did an internal review and agreed it could t justify overtime claims.

It repaid U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $250,620.29 for disallowed costs and or expenses, Alme's office said.