Belcourt Teacher Sentenced for Theft from Sky Dancer Casino

MINOT - United States Attorney Drew H. Wrigley announced that on September 18, 2007, Andrew Blake Decoteau, 48, of Belcourt, North Dakota, was sentenced in United States District Court before Chief Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a charge of theft by an employee from a gaming establishment on Indian lands.

The Indictment alleged four separate counts of theft by an employee from a gaming establishment on Indian lands from late 2002 through early 2005 when Decoteau was the General Manager of the Sky Dancer Casino. On June 28, 2007, Decoteau pled guilty to one count of the Indictment for an incident in late 2004 through early 2005 when Decoteau purchased a snowmobile from Moritz Sport & Marine in Mandan, ND. The majority of the cost of the snowmobile ($6,000) was paid for with Sky Dancer funds. Decoteau later paid the balance of the cost ($1,500) with personal funds but retained possession of the snowmobile. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Hovland also found Decoteau responsible for having

retained possession of a different snowmobile, valued at $3,750, in late 2002, which had also been purchased by Decoteau with Sky Dancer Casino funds.

Judge Hovland sentenced Decoteau to probation for three years and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $9,750 and a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund. Among the conditions of his probation, Decoteau was placed under home confinement with electronic monitoring for eight months, and at the end of the current school year, was ordered to be placed at a residential reentry center for two months. Decoteau was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, which must include at least 10 hours of speaking to students about his involvement in the criminal justice system and his conduct which led to this felony conviction.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney David Hagler prosecuted the case.

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