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June 19, 2008

Narragansetts to be sentenced in smoke-shop raid fight

PROVIDENCE -- Three Narragansett Indian tribe members convicted of fighting with state police during a 2003 raid on a tribal smoke shop are scheduled to be sentenced.

Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, Hiawatha Brown and Randy Noka are expected to be sentenced today, two days after a judge rejected their request for a new trial. A defense lawyer says the judge put off the sentencing so she could get more information about the impact sentences would have on the defendants and the tribe.

But he also said he doesn't expect them to face any jail time.

The three were convicted in April of either disorderly conduct or simple assault.

Police had been ordered to shut down the shop in Charlestown because it was selling cigarettes without collecting state taxes.

Read our special report on the smoke-shop case.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Jack Perry  at 7:02 AM | Permalink

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