Attorneys for the Ute Indian Tribe confirmed Friday that they have settled a lawsuit with the tribe's former financial adviser, John P. Jurrius.

In a one-paragraph statement, the tribe said it had “resolved its differences” Jurrius and both sides had agreed to have their lawsuits against one another dismissed. The statement said the parties have agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential; however, the Uintah Basin Standard has learned that Jurrius gave up his claims to potentially lucrative tribal oil and gas contracts as part of the deal.

“We wouldn't have settled if he was still involved, let's put it that way,” said a source with knowledge of the May 22 settlement in U.S. District Court in Denver.

Susan Bernhardt, an attorney representing Jurrius, The Jurrius Group LLP, and the Jurrius Ogle Group LLC was contacted on Thursday and promised to “get back” to the Standard to answer questions about the resolution of the case. She never did call back.

The Ute Tribe's Business Committee filed suit against Jurrius and his investment companies in September alleging that he and his associates "wrongfully and fraudulently" claimed an interest the tribe's energy businesses, namely Ute Energy Holdings and Ute Energy.

“Jurrius used (his) position as our adviser, with full access to our books and records, to fraudulently claim assets and revenue that clearly belong to the tribe,” said Ute Tribe Business Committee Chairman Curtis R. Cesspooch in a written statement released after the lawsuit was filed.

“Given the fact that the revenue from the development of these oil and gas resources on our traditional lands is our primary source of income, Jurrius' actions are a direct threat to the tribe's and our families' well-being,” said Cesspooch, who ran for office on an anti-Jurrius platform.

Jurrius – now the president of Native American Resource Partners, which has the stated purpose of helping American Indian tribes develop their oil, gas, and mineral resources – fired back in December with a lawsuit of his own.

The Texan denied allegations that he breached his fiduciary duties to the tribe, and said he instead helped the Ute Indian Tribe achieve “unprecedented financial success.”

“When the tribe retained the Jurrius Parties, the tribe had severe financial problems and limited revenues and liquidity,” the defendants said in court records. “The Jurrius Parties, through tremendous effort, skill and creativity, not only resolved the financial difficulties but enabled the tribe to achieve unprecedented financial success.”

In their counterclaim, Jurrius and his co-defendants accused the the tribe of breaching its obligation to pay them monthly fees and other compensation. They said the current Business Committee, made up of different individuals than those who hired them, wrongfully terminated Jurrius and concocted the lawsuit to avoid paying them.

The settlement, signed off on by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn, dismisses the parties' claims with prejudice, which means they cannot be raised again.