Eight Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Members Plead Guilty to Financial Crimes

Eight members of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe have pleaded guilty to financial crimes against the tribal government.In a release, the Department of Justice states the individuals were employees of the tribe’s Financial Services Department. They used fraudulent checks and wire transfers to defraud the tribe of a total of almost $800,000. The money was then sent to people outside the office who were not entitled to the funds. The largest amount embezzled was over $300,000. That’s significantly higher than the amount of $7,000, initially reported in December. A spokesperson for the Tribe declined to comment.