FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 18, 2007
VERONICA TIERZA DUST 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 Billings, on October 18, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, VERONICA TIERZA DUST, a 20-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared for sentencing. DUST was sentenced to a term of:
- Home Arrest: 3 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Restitution: $500.47
- Probation: 2 years
DUST was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to burglary.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On January 7, 2006, the business manager of the Kentucky Fried Chicken, located south of Crow Agency within the boundaries of the Crow Indian Reservation, contacted law enforcement to report a theft of over $1,000 from the previous day's operations.
Law enforcement began their investigation by taking statements from employees and by photographing the opened drawers of the office safe. The safe contained empty bank bags and an empty cashier's till tray. Law enforcement also reviewed the security camera videotape and, with the assistance of the employees, identified DUST as a suspect.
DUST was interviewed by law enforcement that same day, January 7, 2006. DUST, a former shift manager at the Kentucky Fried Chicken, admitted that she had taken the missing money the previous night. She stated that at approximately 1:00 a.m. on January 7, 2006, she had used an extra key that she had made for the front door to gain access to the business.
The total amount of money taken was $1,549.74. DUST returned $1,049.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that DUST will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, DUST 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 Lori Harper Suek prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
