OIG investigated allegations from the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) that Sharon Nelson, an Individual Indian Money account holder, knowingly cashed a U.S. Treasury check she had previously reported missing, and for which she had already received funds through a direct deposit. The payment was for the sale of her property through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Land Buy-Back program.
Our investigation confirmed Nelson cashed the check after she had already been paid. Nelson pled guilty in U.S. District Court in South Dakota to a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641 - theft of Government property. She was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $6,648.75 in restitution.
This is a summary of a report we provided to OST for any action deemed appropriate.