Former BIA Officer Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Lying to Investigators

Murrell Deela, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer, pleaded guilty today to sexual abuse involving a minor and to lying to federal investigators.

"Rather than serve and protect those within the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, the defendant used his position of power to sexually assault a minor entrusted to his care, and then he lied and attempted to conceal his crime," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The minor victim suffered harm that cannot be quantified, but this Justice Department will hold accountable those who violate positions of public trust and prey on the citizens they have sworn to protect."

"The outcome reflects the victim's courage in coming forward," said Special Agent in Charge Jutin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. "Any abuse of authority, especially against a minor, causes lasting harm and is a betrayal of everything law enforcement stands for. The FBI will continue working to ensure accountability for those who exploit positions of trust to harm others."

According to records filed in the case, on Aug. 7, 2024, Deela, then 29 years old, was on duty and acting in his official capacity as a BIA officer in the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, when he encountered the minor. The minor victim was apprehended and placed in the back of Deela's patrol vehicle. Instead of driving the teenager to her family's house, Deela drove the minor to an alternate location. Deela then proceeded to engage in sexual acts with the minor victim without the victim's consent. The minor victim disclosed the victimization the following day, and the FBI's analysis of the evidence provided additional facts that corroborated the minor's outcry.

Several days after the incident, Deela was instructed to bring his patrol vehicle to the BIA station for evidence collection. Hours prior to the scheduled report time, Deela reported that his patrol vehicle was on fire. The patrol vehicle and its video system were severely burned. An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the patrol vehicle was set on fire intentionally.

Following the incident, Deela wrote a false report omitting that he had driven the minor victim to the alternate location. When interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Deela falsely told agents that he drove the minor directly to her family's home and had not made any other stops. When confronted with evidence, Deela later admitted that he had driven the minor to an alternate location.

The case was investigated by the FBI and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.