3 former tribal officials sentenced in embezzlement case

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Three former officials of an American Indian tribe that runs a Northern California casino have each been sentenced to more than three years in prison for conspiring to embezzle nearly $5 million from the tribe.

Prosecutors said the trio spent the stolen money on fancy homes, cars and other luxuries.

In 2019, they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle or steal from a tribal organization.

U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert said in a statement after Friday’s sentencing that the “defendants lived a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the Paskenta Tribe of Nomlaki Indians and were undeterred by the damage their conduct would bring to the Tribe.”