New charges filed against Havre businessman in tribal probe

HELENA, Mont. (AP) – A grand jury has handed down a new criminal indictment against a Havre businessman who already faces bribery, embezzlement and theft charges in a corruption investigation into the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation.

The new case against Shad Huston was filed in July and unsealed on Tuesday. It charges Huston with making false claims in 2011, alleging that he charged $120,000 for services his trucking company had not performed for the Chippewa Cree Tribe.

The tribe had received $10.6 million in federal stimulus aid for road construction and maintenance.

Huston pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.

The new indictment is the fifth against Huston dating to 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that he bribed tribal officials in exchange for contracts and overcharged for the work his various companies did on the reservation.