Date: 02-25-2015

Case Style: United States of America v. Demetrius Anthony Gomez

Case Number: 4:14-cr-00101-EJL

Judge: Edward Lodge

Court: United States District Court for the District of Idaho (Bannock County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Jack B Haycock

Defendant's Attorney: Steven V Richert - FPD

Description: POCATELLO, ID - Demetrius Anthony Gomez, 28, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty in United States District Court to theft from a tribal organization, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gomez was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 28, 2014.

On April 2, 2014, Gomez, an off-duty employee of the Sage Hill Travel Center, a gas station, convenience store and casino on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, near Exit 89 from Interstate 15, entered the travel center at about 3:50 am. The defendant told his fellow employee at the front desk that he was checking the schedule. The defendant went to the rear office and a few minutes later walked out and exited the store. The fellow employee became suspicious of the defendant and checked the back room. He reviewed the surveillance recording of the room and saw that the defendant had removed money from the safe in the room. A review of the surveillance recording in the front part of the store later showed that the defendant re-entered the store while the fellow employee was checking the back office. The defendant then removed additional money from a box under the cash register. An audit showed $1,984.00 missing. The money belongs to the Sage Hill Travel Center, which is an Indian tribal organization of the Fort Hall Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

Theft from a tribal organization is punishable by imprisonment up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge.

The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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