Bemidji, MN (KROC-AM News)- The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota announced indictments against five members of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians in connection with a child torture and abuse investigation. 

Get our free mobile app

U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Lugar announced the indictments on Monday. Court documents say the torture and abuse occurred between January 1, 2022 and April 29, 2022. 

Google
Google
loading...

49-year-old Trina Johnson is identified as the legal guardian of the foster child and is accused of directing the torture, endangerment, abuse and neglect of the child. Lugar said the abuse included withholding food from the child to the point of starvation, forcing the child to stand in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time and other abuses. 

Johnson is charged with with one count of child torture, one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, one count of child endangerment and one count of assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. Lugar says the child suffered "serious and substantial physical, mental and emotional harm." 

U.S. Attorney's Office Minnesota
U.S. Attorney's Office Minnesota
loading...

Court documents say 42-year-old Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr. and Johnson’s three sisters, 44-year-old Bobbi Jo Johnson,  47-year-old Ellie Mae Johnson and 39-year-old Patricia Ann Johnson, aided and abetted in the abuse and neglect. Each of them were charged with one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care and one count of child endangerment. 

Tina, Bobbi, Patricia and Lussier made their first court appearances in the case on January 27, while Ellie is due to appear in front of a judge at a later time. The FBI and Red Lake Tribal Police Department led the abuse investigation.

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? 32 Kids Missing From Minnesota

As of January 19, 2023, there are 32 children missing from across Minnesota that have still not been found, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. If you have seen any of them, or have any information on their whereabouts, please don’t hesitate to call 911 or you can call the National Center at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).

More From 106.9 KROC-FM