RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Whitewood man has been sentenced to two years of probation for unlawfully guiding hunts on Oglala Sioux Tribe land.
Everett T. Mackaben Jr. acted as a commercial guide for out-of-state deer hunters, taking them to hunt on Oglala Lakota County land managed by the tribe’s Parks and Recreation Authority.
The hunters paid Mackaben for guiding and assisting in obtaining hunting licenses. The licenses were for other areas but Mackaben then guided the hunters in Oglala Lakota County, according to a U.S. Attorney release. After the deer were illegally taken, Mackaben would then arrange shipment of the deer to the hunters’ home states.
“The illegal, commercial exploitation of tribal lands is a serious issue,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “Our office will continue to work with the Oglala Sioux Tribe and all of the Tribal governments across South Dakota to aggressively pursue these cases.”
The court also ordered Mackaben to pay $26,825 in restitution to the OST Parks and Recreation Authority; a $10,000 fine and $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
