Tamarac man convicted of selling tribal memberships sentenced


By Joel Marino, Sun Sentinel

December 8, 2009

A Tamarac man convicted of selling tribal memberships to illegal immigrants was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in prison followed by three years of supervised released.

A federal judge also ordered Audie Watson, 76, to forfeit assets and pay $11,250 in restitution.

As owner and president of Universal Service Dedicated to God Inc., Audie was charged with selling the tribal memberships for $1,500 per person or $2,000 per couple so buyers could claim American Indian lineage and avoid deportation, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The tribe was called the Pembina Nation Little Shell, a North Dakota group not formally recognized by the U.S. government.

Watson was convicted Sept. 22 on several mail fraud and money laundering charges.

www.sun-sentinel.com