The former police chief of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has been sentenced to over 28 years in prison for sexually assaulting a girl when she was as young as six.

75-year-old Russell James Bankey, of Garrison, was sentenced to over 28 years (344 months) in prison for one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in which the victim was under 16 and the conduct was recurring. Court records say conditional release has been set for 10 years, meaning he could get out earlier and serve the remainder of his time on supervised release.

The sentence is an upward departure from the suggested sentence for that conviction due to the aggravating factors in the case, like the repetition of the assaults, according to court documents.

Bankey received credit for 86 days previously served in jail.

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