The jury trial date of Fred Paquin and his daughter, Mary Cullen, both of St. Ignace, has been rescheduled to August 16, a mutual agreement reached by the prosecution and the defense shortly before the previously set trial date of June 21. A request they had made to be tried separately was denied by the court May 28.

Mr. Paquin, a former Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians police chief, pled not guilty in January to 15 charges related to an alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States of America by dishonest means. Mrs. Cullen was arraigned on four charges in the same case March 5 in the federal court and stood mute, leading the court to enter a plea of not guilty on her behalf.

In an indictment by a grand jury, Mr. Paquin and Mrs. Cullen are facing charges related to an alleged conspiracy to pay Mrs. Cullen as a full-time employee after she was no longer working full-time for the tribe.

Following their arraignments, Mr. Paquin and Mrs. Cullen have been free on bond.