North Dakota tribal governor pleads guilty to bribery

A former Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation government official accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges in North Dakota .

Randall Phelan, 58, of Mandaree, North Dakota, was an elected representative on the governing body of the three affiliated tribes from late 2012 to mid-2020. Investigators say Phelan used his official position to help the business of the contractor by awarding contracts. , make offers and manage fraudulent invoices.

His trial was due to begin on Tuesday.

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Phelan and two others were initially charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the eight-year corruption scheme at the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The entrepreneur pleaded guilty to bribery and cooperated with prosecutors. Prosecutors said the company had received more than $17 million over the past decade for construction work on the reservation.

Phelan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bribe relating to programs receiving federal funds, honest services wire fraud and bribery relating to programs receiving federal funds. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for February 22.

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Michael Hoffman, an attorney for Phelan, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.