Spokane Man Pleads Guilty to Theft from Coeur d’Alene Tribe
COEUR D'ALENE – Samuel Allman IV, 23, of Spokane, Washington, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene to theft from an Indian tribal organization, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, on August 22, 2009, Allman broke into the Benewah Market, in Plummer, Idaho, and stole cash from several cash registers. Alarms within the store alerted Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police of the break-in. Police were unable to locate Allman, but found a pair of shorts in an alley next to the market. FBI forensic analysis found DNA belonging to Allman on the shorts. The store's surveillance footage showed Allman, who was wearing shorts, break into the store and steal the cash. The Benewah Market is owned by the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe.
The charge carries a maximum punishment of up to five years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 10, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.