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Disputed Skull Valley Band of Goshutes tribal leader Leon Bear pleaded guilty Thursday to filing a false federal tax return.

Bear, who signed a controversial agreement to store tons of spent nuclear fuel on the reservation 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, also agreed to pay $13,000 in back taxes and repay the tribe $25,242 in various duplicate stipends he received, plus an additional $6,300. In exchange, the federal government will drop five charges of embezzlement and fraud at Bear's June 27 sentencing, as long as he doesn't violate any local, state or federal laws in the interim.

The plea deal means Bear will avoid a two-week trial scheduled to begin Monday on five felony indictments handed up in December 2003, when Bear, 48, was charged with three counts of embezzling $160,952 from tribal programs.

He also was charged with three counts of tax fraud.

The trial could have led to disclosures of details of the tribe's secret contract with a consortium of eight utilities to store spent nuclear fuel.

Prosecutors originally alleged Bear reported being unemployed on his personal tax filings even though he was paid more than $192,316 for tribal business.

The guilty plea carries a possible three-year prison sentence, a year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. But under the plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to recommend Bear be sentenced at the lowest end of the federal sentencing guidelines.

Bear's attorney Joseph Thibodeau declined to comment until after the sentencing. Prosecutors could not be reached for comment.

Bear has been involved in tribal power struggles since striking a deal in 1997 with Private Fuel Storage, a nuclear utility consortium, to build a $3.1 billion high-level radioactive waste storage facility on Goshute land.

His critics, including a former tribal secretary who was scheduled to be the government's star witness against Bear, were dismayed at what they fear could turn out to be a light sentence.

"I wanted the financial information to be disclosed. Most of the tribal members don't know anything about what he is spending, even today. He's spending like mad," said Rex Allen, who with his sister Mary Allen were to testify against Bear.

Rex Allen said he recently sent letters to Interior Secretary Gale Norton and the Bureau of Indian Affairs complaining about Bear's refusal to hold tribal elections in November and again in March.

"He's embarrassing the tribe, not only with his financial dealings but with contracts with other businesses related to Private Fuel Storage," Allen said.

Margene Bullcreek, who considers Bear an illegitimate leader, said she was "shocked and very disappointed" Bear had been allowed a plea deal. "This is nothing to him. He's got all the tribe's money to pay this."

Last month Bullcreek and five other tribal members filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Interior Department, Norton and two BIA superintendents alleging the federal government acted illegally when it gave conditional approval to plans for the PFS facility in spite of the ongoing leadership dispute. The lawsuit also contends the BIA acted illegally when it recognized Bear as tribal leader.

"We still want an election. He pled guilty," she said. "We shouldn't have people who have been indicted in council seats. He should step down."

Late last month, Skull Valley Band of Goshutes member Sammy Blackbear, who is fighting to be recognized as tribal leader, pleaded guilty to misusing $1,000 in tribal funds and agreed to help the federal government in its cases against other tribal members also caught up in the leadership dispute.

In exchange, the U.S. Attorney's Office agreed to drop five bank-fraud charges against Blackbear. Whether Bear's plea will affect Blackbear's agreement was unknown Thursday.

Two other tribal members - Marlinda Moon and Miranda Wash - and their attorney, Duncan Steadman, were charged in December 2003 with embezzlement and bank fraud after they used what prosecutors alleged were bogus legal documents to take control of nearly $1.4 million in tribal funds.

Blackbear contends Bear never was elected tribal leader.

Blackbear has said that as the legitimate tribal leader, he had a right to move the funds to prevent Bear from spending them.