Another sentence handed down in theft of gaming funds within Winnebago Tribe

Another former leader of the Winnebago Tribe was sentenced to probation in connection with the theft of gaming funds.

Charles Aldrich, 49, is the third to be sentenced for his role in the scheme. He admitted he supplemented his salary with funds taken from the WinnaVegas Casino Resort.

The money was distributed to council members in the form of pre-paid debit cards, according to court documents. In addition to the five years of probation, Aldrich was ordered to $36,500 in restitution, The Sioux City Journal reported, an indication of the amount of money that was taken from the casino.

A total of 9 former leaders were charged in connection with the theft and five have pleaded guilty. Besides Aldrich, they are: John Blackhawk, the tribe's former longtime chairman; Louis Houghton, Lawrence Payer, and Thomas Snowball.

The cases against Darwin Snyder, Travis Mallory, Morgan Earth and Ramona Wolfe remain resolved. All had been indicted in July 2016, after they were forced out of office in response to allegations of corruption on the reservation.

The cases are being prosecuted in Nebraska, where tribal headquarters are located. WinnaVegas is on trust land in Iowa.

Read More on the Story:
Former Winnebago councilman sentenced for theft from tribe (The Sioux City Journal September 18, 2017)

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