Idaho company steals from South Dakota tribe, Alaska Natives [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Updated 4:47 pm CST, Friday, January 11, 2019

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho company that sells posters to raise money for schools has admitted to defrauding a South Dakota tribe and at least two organizations tied to Alaska Natives.

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All Around Sports devised a fraud scheme that it used between December 2015 and December 2016 to take more than $360,000 from the victims, according to prosecutors.

The business took $54,000 from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, prosecutors said. It convinced an employee at a local college, the Oglala Lakota College, to sign an authorization form. All Around Sports used that form to get money wired from the tribe's bank account, prosecutors said.

The business also took $218,900 from Kokarmuit Corp., described as a Native retail company in Akiak, Alaska, and $90,000 from the Alaskan city of Ambler, a small town of mostly Kuuvangmiut Inupiat residents. Prosecutors did not say how All Around Sports accomplished that, only that it was trying "to further the objectives of the conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2016."

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Idaho-company-steals-from-South-Dakota-tribe-13527370.php

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All Around Sports, in Boise, owner, Chris Hoshaw

Boise school-sports poster firm stole from South Dakota tribe, Alaska Natives
BY AUDREY DUTTON

JANUARY 11, 2019 06:58 AM,

UPDATED JANUARY 11, 2019 07:02 AM

. . .

Boise owner to plead guilty
Hoshaw on Dec. 6 signed a plea agreement on his and the company’s behalf, admitting to the charges.

Hoshaw said he would waive indictment and plead guilty to wire fraud. The maximum penalty is 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and three years of parole or probation.

The company admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with a maximum penalty of probation, a $500,00 fine or both.

Under the plea deal, Hoshaw and the company agreed to “use their best efforts” to pay restitution to the victims at or before sentencing. All Around Sports must pay $109,450 to the Kokarmuit Corp. and $90,000 to the city of Ambler.

. . .

Previous allegations
The company in 2012 was accused by Idaho Attorney General’s Office of breaking the law.

Court records filed in Canyon County show the attorney general once alleged Hoshaw and All Around Sports broke telephone solicitation and consumer protection laws. The company repeatedly called Idaho consumers, sent “false and misleading invoices to Idaho consumers to collect debts [they] did not owe” and claimed the business was BBB-accredited when it wasn’t, the documents allege.

More:
https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article224134730.html