Trial Set for Nez Perce Tribal Member Charged with Stealing Money from Nez Perce Express

Michael Charles Taylor, 39, of Lapwai, Idaho, pleaded not guilty to felony grand theft yesterday in U.S. District Court in Coeur d'Alene, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury last month.

According to the indictment, between July 1 and September 17, 2010, Taylor stole over $1,000 from the Nez Perce Express convenience store in Lewiston, Idaho, while working as an employee at the store.

A jury trial is set for May 17, 2011, in Coeur d'Alene before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge. The charge of grand theft is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, and a period of supervised release of three years.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.