BISMARCK, N.D. – Three members of a tribe on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor.
Court documents show Randall Phelan, 55, of Mandaree, Delvin Reeves, 52, of Watford City, and Frank Grady, 52, of Hardin, Montana, are charged with conspiracy and federal programs bribery. They each face up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted.
Phelan is an elected tribal business council member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes; Reeves is a paid tribal government employee; and Grady was a tribal business council representative from 2014 to 2018, according to court documents filed in federal court in North Dakota.
Prosecutors said Phelan and Reeves solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from a contractor from 2013 to this year. Court records said Grady solicited and accepted bribes and kickbacks from 2016-2017. Court records allege that all three men used their official positions help the contractor’s business, including by awarding contracts and advocating for the contractor with other tribal officials.
