HEADLINE: Tribes charge Poplar man with rape, sex trafficking

By Louis Montclair

For The Journal

A Poplar man is the first person to face sex trafficking charges under a new law in the

Comprehensive Code of Justice.

Logan Sandau, 35, was charged with felony sex crimes in Fort Peck Tribal Court. Charges include

rape, and two counts of sex trafficking.

According to Tribal Court documents, the alleged crimes happened between September 11, 2022 and

July 29, 2023, at or near 309 B Street West in Poplar. During that time, Sandau is alleged to have had

multiple sexual intercourse with the victim, age 15-years-old, by use of force and coercion. Multiple

assaults are alleged to have occurred during this time frame, tribal court documents state.

In addition, he is also charged with two separate counts of sex trafficking.

In the same time frame, Sandau is alleged to have received illegal drugs from Chuco Garfield, 19, by

providing Garfield the use of the victim for sexual activity, documents state.

The second charge alleges Sandau received illegal drugs from individuals in a yellow van with black

marking by providing the occupants of the van the use of the victim for sexual activity.

Each charge carries a maximum punishment of at least a year incarceration for each count, if found

guilty.

These charges are the Tribes accusations, and under the law Sandau is innocent until proven guilty.

He is being held in the Adult Tribal Jail with no bond set, according to documents from the jail.

This is the first time a person has been charged with sex trafficking, a fairly new additional law in the

Comprehensive Code of Justice.

Sex trafficking is an offense and a person commits it by intentionally or knowingly entices, recruits,

transports, harbors, isolates, provides, obtains, maintains, facilitates, directs or arranges for an

individual to provide commercial sexual activity; offers or agrees to compensate an individual for
sexual activity; or benefits financially or by receiving anything of value from participation, other than

as a victim of sex trafficking, in a venture, knowing that the venture has engaged or will enegage in of

sex trafficking that is classified as a felony as defined by Tribal law.