Former BLM employee set to plead guilty in fraud case

A former Bureau of Land Management employee was set to plead guilty on Wednesday to defrauding the government by abandoning his job in Virginia and returning to Montana to work for the Chippewa Cree Tribe. Larry Ray Denny of Box Elder was due in federal court in Great Falls for a change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Brian Morris. The former deputy state director for the Bureau of Land Management’s Eastern States office in Springfield, Virginia, was indicted in July on charges of wire fraud, false claims, theft of government property and falsely representing outside income. Defense attorney Penelope Strong said in court filings that Denny intends to plead guilty. Former BLM Eastern States Director John Grimson Lyon faces a March 23 trial over accusations that he covered for Denny. He faces charges of wire fraud, false claims and theft of government property. Prosecutors said Denny continued to receive $112,000 in annual salary and benefits after leaving his federal post in July 2012, claiming health problems. He did not report about $49,000 in income he received from the tribe on a federal financial disclosure report, prosecutors said. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the most serious charge, wire fraud. From July 2012 through March 2013, the BLM paid Denny for 550 hours of regular work, 461 hours of sick leave, 389 hours of annual leave and 72 hours for federal holidays, the indictment said. An investigation found that during the time Denny was reportedly dealing with health issues, he visited various golf courses and traveled to Las Vegas, Arizona and around the state, according to prosecutors. In 2012, Lyon gave an “exceptional” job performance review to Denny that entitled him to a $3,200 cash award. Lyon’s public defender, Evangelo Arvanetes, did not immediately respond to a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment. The government is seeking $112,000 in restitution in the case.  AP

And just think, by being out of the office he probably did less damage to the public than other BLMers who will get away scot free.