Big Eagle appeals bribery convictions; no record of reporting to prison

• Big Eagle

Duane Big Eagle

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A former Crow Creek Sioux Tribe chairman has appealed his federal criminal convictions.

Duane Big Eagle, 62, was convicted Nov. 30 on two counts of conspiracy to bribe tribal officials and one count of bribery.

Big Eagle took payments from a contractor hired to build on the reservation, which is headquartered in Fort Thompson. Big Eagle’s attorney, Dana Hanna, of Rapid City, said during the trial in November that prosecutors did not give enough evidence to prove Big Eagle knew the payments were bribes.

Big Eagle and Hanna must file a brief by Feb. 8 outlining why Big Eagle is appealing his convictions.

Big Eagle was scheduled to report for his three-year prison sentence by 3 p.m. Wednesday, but as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Bureau of Prisons had no record of him reporting.

Hanna’s office confirmed Big Eagle was due to turn himself in Wednesday, but did not know whether he’d turned himself in.

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