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In Billings, Montana, a former federal law enforcement officer admitted guilt on Thursday to charges of sexual abuse. Prosecutors assert that Murrell Deela raped a 14-year-old girl, who was intoxicated at the time, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation and attempted to hide his actions.
According to the prosecution, Deela, who was serving as an officer with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, came across the young girl at a gas station located on the reservation in southern Montana in August 2024.
When the girl tried to flee, Deela allegedly used a “takedown maneuver” to restrain her, placed her in the back of his patrol vehicle, and transported her to a dimly lit park where the assault took place, as detailed in court records.
Following the assault, Deela reportedly drove the girl to her grandmother’s residence. The following day, she reported the incident, according to the documents.
Subsequently, when investigators requested Deela to retrieve video footage from his patrol car from the night in question, he claimed that the vehicle had been destroyed in a fire, the court documents reveal.
Investigators determined the fire had been intentionally lit, and Deela’s fingerprints were the only ones found on the vehicle, the documents said.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducts law enforcement on Native American reservations across the U.S.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken said in a statement that the outcome of the case reflected the victim’s courage in coming forward. Gerken described Durrell’s actions as “a betrayal of everything law enforcement stands for.”
The sexual abuse charge carries a maximum punishment of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also pleaded guilty to lying to investigators, which carries a maximum of eight years in prison.
However, Deela could serve a shorter sentence under a plea deal with prosecutors.
A sentencing date before U.S. District Judge Bill Mercer was not immediately scheduled.