A federal jury decided Friday that former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald was behind a 1989 riot at the tribal capital that left two dead and six others injured.
The jury convicted MacDonald and six others of conspiracy stemming from the riot, the climax of five months of turmoil after MacDonald was removed from office by the tribal council for taking kickbacks.MacDonald also was convicted of burglary, but the jury could not reach a verdict on assault, robbery and kidnapping charges.
The jury also deadlocked on varying numbers of counts against six other defendants but convicted all 10 defendants of at least two counts each.
"I don't have any comment until we get a better idea of the verdicts or lack of verdicts," said Bruce Griffen, defense attorney for MacDonald, who's under a court order not to talk to the news media.
The jury deliberated 16 days before reaching a verdict late Thursday. The three-month trial began July 16.
District Judge Robert Broomfield declared a mistrial on the deadlocked counts. While excusing the jurors, he told them that "a threat had been made on me and others, but not you."
Court officials declined to elaborate on Broomfield's statement.
The charges stem from MacDonald supporters' July 20, 1989, march on the Window Rock headquarters of the nation's most populous Indian tribe. The march led to a clash in which two MacDonald supporters were killed and three were wounded by tribal police. Three officers also were wounded.
MacDonald had been suspended the previous Feb. 17 after U.S. Senate hearing testimony implicated him in corruption. His term of office expired while he was still on suspension.
In ruling that there was a conspiracy, the jury said the underlying crimes were burglary of the tribe's administration and finance building and kidnapping of police officers.
The conspiracy count is punishable by up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Pam Gullett said sentencing guidelines could reduce the possible maximum penalties for various defendants.
MacDonald, chairman in 1971-83 and 1987-89, was convicted in October 1989 in tribal court of bribery, conspiracy and ethics violations and in January 1991 stemming from a tribal land purchase and other matters.
He still faces sentencing on May convictions of fraud, racketeering, extortion, conspiracy and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering. That case centered on the tribe's dealings with a computer company operating on the reservation.