Priscilla Hunter, the former chairwoman of the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of willful failure to file tax returns, a far lesser charge than the ones she originally faces.

Hunter and seven former tribal leaders were indicted as part of a dramatic corruption case in May 2004. But the federal government's case fell apart and only one other person pleaded guilty.

The case was spurred by accusations that Hunter and other tribal leaders embezzled from the tribe. "Unless they give her a year in jail, it’s not going to send a message that stealing from your people is wrong," Correy Alcantra, a critic of the tribe's prior leadership, told The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.

Hunter faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, $25,000 in fines and one year of supervised release.

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Former Coyote Valley leader pleads guilty to tax charges (The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat 5/5)