Fort Belknap woman pleads guilty to theft

Nicole Marie Brockie pleaded guilty to federal welfare assistance fraud Thursday at the Missouri River Federal Courthouse in Great Falls.

The two other charges she was being tried for were theft from an Indian tribal organization and theft of federally provided welfare benefits by fraud.

The charge she pleaded guilty to carries a maximum sentence of five year imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

From around July 1, 2012 to around June 17, 2014, at Billings, Chinook and Harlem, Brockie made false statements and representations in applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits. She falsely reported her residence, household income and household composition and claimed to have no earned or unearned household income, which would have affected her eligibility for the benefits, the indictment reads.

The portion of her indictment that accused her of theft from an Indian tribal organization alleged that she took funds from Fort Belknap Indian Community’s 477 Office.

She will be sentenced Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Missouri River Federal Courthouse.