Chief Wind River Tribal Judge, Other Defendants Plead Not Guilty to New Charges

The chief judge of the Wind River Indian Reservation's tribal court and one other defendant pleaded not guilty to new drug-related charges during their arraignments in federal court last week.

Terri Smith pleaded not guilty to single counts of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, use of a communication facility to commit a drug felony, and distribution of cocaine, according to minutes of the hearing.

Smith was originally charged with the communication facility and cocaine crimes in an indictment on March 21, and later pleaded not guilty.

On May 24, the federal grand jury handed up a superseding indictment with the first two charges and the third count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone.

She is free on a $25,000 unsecured bond, and her trial is scheduled for July 29 before U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson in Cheyenne.

Besides Smith, defendant Thomas Brown pleaded guilty to the oxycodone charge on Thursday.

A third defendant, Jerri Smith, also is charged with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, and her arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday.

The superseding indictment says using a communication facility in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance is a felony punishable by up to four years in prison. Distribution of cocaine is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiracy to distribute oxycodone is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The superseding indictment says the three defendants conspired in Wyoming and elsewhere to distribute oxycodone from November 2017 to November 2018.

It also says Terri Smith sent text messages to an unnamed co-conspirator to distribute oxycodone on April 28, 2018, and she distributed cocaine on June 26, 2018.

The superseding indictment did not describe any details about the alleged crimes.