Former Washoe tribal police chief sentenced to prison on weapons charge

Friday, July 30, 1999 | 3:11 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Former Washoe tribal police chief Lionel Ahdunko has been sentenced to one year in federal prison on his guilty plea to illegal possession a fully automatic weapon.

U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben on Thursday also sentenced Ahdunko to three years probation for making false statements in a police report about an accident involving a tribal vehicle that Ahdunko was using for personal use.

Ahdunko was also fined $3,500 and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service for each offense.

McKibben gave Ahdunko until Sept. 15 to voluntarily surrender and begin serving his sentence.

Ahdunko pleaded guilty in April to falsely reporting details of a traffic accident and stealing an M-14 rifle when he worked for the Washoe Tribe.

Court documents said the weapon was taken by Ahdunko to his residence and later to Washington state.

Ahdunko apologized for his actions in court and asked the judge for leniency.

"This all happened when I was going through a difficult time. I allowed stress and depression to take me down," Ahdunko said, adding that poor judgment ruined his 17-year law enforcement career.

Ahdunko was fired by the Washoe Tribe in 1997 and went to work as police chief for the Makah Tribe in Washington state.

But he resigned from that job two months ago after the federal government warned it might withhold law-enforcement money from the tribe if Ahdunko remained as police chief, given his conviction.

His lawyer, Kristine Smith, said Makah officials continue to support Ahdunko and have offered him a position as general manager.

"This would give him sufficient income to meet his child support obligations," she said. "The job won't be left open for a considerable period of time."

McKibben said the serious nature of the weapons charged demanded a prison term. In imposing the sentence, he followed the recommendations of the U.S. Probation Department.