U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger has announced that five members of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians have been sentenced to prison for child abuse and neglect on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.
Court documents reveal that from January 1, 2021, to April 29, 2022, Trina Mae Johnson, 50, was found responsible for the mistreatment and harm inflicted upon a child under her care through a foster care placement.
Johnson received assistance from Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr., along with his three sisters, Bobbi Jo Johnson (also known as Bobbi Jo Kingbird), Ellie Mae Johnson, and Patricia Ann Johnson. These individuals frequently took on the responsibility of caring for and supervising the minor victim.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the victim endured severe mistreatment, such as being deprived of food to the point of starvation, being forced to maintain uncomfortable positions for extended periods, and being subjected to various forms of assault. The victim endured significant physical, mental, and emotional harm as a consequence of Johnson’s actions and those of her accomplices.
Trina Mae Johnson has recently pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including child torture, child neglect, child endangerment, and assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. On Thursday, August 22nd, she received a sentence of 216 months in prison from Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court. Following her prison term, she will be under supervised release for five years.
Bobbi Jo Johnson was found guilty by a federal jury of child neglect—specifically, deprivation of food and health care—and child endangerment on April 15, 2024. On August 22nd, Judge Menendez handed down a sentence of 72 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Ellie Johnson, Patricia Johnson, and Lussier have all admitted to a charge of child endangerment. Ellie Johnson has been given a sentence of 48 months, along with three years of supervised release. Patricia Johnson has been given a sentence of 48 months, along with three years of supervised release. Lussier received a sentence of 24 months and will be under supervised release for two years.
The FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department led the investigation, receiving support from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Beltrami County Sherriff’s Office, the Bemidji Police Department, and the Blackduck Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Evan B. Gilead.