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Court Rejects Blackfeet Consultant’s Appeal of Conviction

Gary Conti Jr. was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and of kicking back money

By Molly Priddy

HELENA — A court has rejected the appeal of a Blackfeet tribal consultant who was convicted in a scheme to defraud a federally funded program for at-risk youths.

A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled an error in a jury instruction was not enough to overturn Gary Conti Jr.’s conviction.

The appellate court said Wednesday federal prosecutors presented “strong and convincing evidence” against Conti and there is no reasonable probability the error affected the case’s outcome.

Last year, Conti was sentenced to five years in prison after a jury found him guilty on 29 criminal counts.

Conti was convicted of bankruptcy fraud and of kicking back money he received as a consultant to two Po’Ka Project leaders, who were convicted of stealing from the program and falsifying invoices.