FORMER BIA OFFICER SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING MINOR IN CUSTODY AND LYING TO FBI

WASHINGTON — Murrell Deela, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs officer, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a minor who had been placed in his custody and lying to federal investigators about where he transported the teenager.

The sentence was imposed Wednesday, July 29, 2026, following Deela’s guilty plea to sexual abuse involving a minor and making false statements to investigators. The case involved the abuse of authority by an on-duty federal officer, false information placed into an official report, deceptive statements made during an FBI interview, and the intentional burning of a patrol vehicle containing a video system that investigators were scheduled to examine.

According to records filed in the case, Deela was 29 years old and working in his official capacity as a BIA officer on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation when he encountered the minor victim on August 7, 2024.

Deela apprehended the teenager and placed her in the back of his patrol vehicle. He was expected to transport her to her family’s home but drove her to a different location instead. Deela then engaged in sexual acts with the minor without her consent.

The circumstances placed the victim under the control of an armed officer acting through official authority. She had been apprehended, confined inside a government vehicle, and depended upon Deela to take her to the destination he was responsible for reaching. He used that custody and access to isolate and sexually abuse her.

The victim disclosed the abuse the following day. The FBI examined the available evidence and identified additional facts that corroborated her disclosure.

“The vast majority of federal law enforcement officers carry out their duties and responsibilities with exceptional skill and courage,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But when those tasked with enforcing the law violate their duty by sexually assaulting individuals in their care and custody, especially minor victims, the Department of Justice will hold them fully accountable. Today’s sentence reflects the principle that those who abuse their power by targeting children for sexual gratification will be met with the full force of the law.”

“The victim showed a tremendous amount of courage coming forward to help ensure Mr. Deela was held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “Sexual abuse of a minor is a devastating crime, only compounded by an offender’s attempt to deceive investigators. No badge or title places anyone above the law and we are committed to pursuing justice for victims.”

Several days after the sexual abuse, Deela was instructed to bring his patrol vehicle to the BIA station so authorities could collect evidence. The vehicle contained a video system that could have held material relevant to the investigation.

Hours before he was scheduled to report to the station, Deela reported that the patrol vehicle was on fire. The vehicle and its video system were severely burned.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examined the fire and determined that the patrol vehicle had been intentionally set ablaze. The official announcement does not state that Deela was convicted of setting the fire, and his 14-year sentence was imposed for the sexual abuse involving the minor and his lies to federal investigators. The timing and destruction of the vehicle remained significant parts of the sequence examined by authorities.

Deela also attempted to conceal the alternate stop through his official paperwork. After the incident, he prepared a false report that omitted the fact that he had driven the minor somewhere other than her family’s home.

When FBI agents interviewed him, Deela repeated that false account. He told investigators that he had taken the teenager directly to her family’s residence and had made no additional stops.

Investigators confronted Deela with evidence contradicting his account. He then admitted that he had driven the minor to an alternate location.

The FBI and ATF jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota, Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and former Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison prosecuted the case.

Deela’s 14-year sentence holds a former federal officer accountable for crimes committed while he was entrusted with authority over a minor. The victim’s prompt disclosure, followed by the FBI’s corroboration of her account, prevented his badge, false report, and deceptive statements from controlling the outcome of the case.

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