United States Attorney John C. Richter Western District of Oklahoma April 22, 2008 CONTACT: Bob Troester                 405/553-8999

FORMER SECRETARY TO CHEYENNE-ARAPAHO OFFICIAL
SENTENCED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT OF CASINO FUNDS

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – John C. Richter, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, announced that Louella Oldbear, 56, of Del City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 12 months and 1 day in federal prison following her conviction by a jury in November 2007 of embezzling over $17,000 and making a false statement to the FBI about the use of Cheyenne-Arapaho tribal money to purchase vehicles.  Oldbear was Secretary to a Cheyenne-Arapaho Business Committee member. 

At the sentencing hearing today, United States District Judge Stephen P. Friot also ordered Oldbear to pay $17,064.94 in restitution to Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes, and serve three years of supervised release and perform 104 hours of community service following her release from prison.  (Case No. CR-07-77)

In addition to Oldbear, the following individuals have been convicted in separate cases arising out of investigation of the financial activities of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Business Committee:

1. Convicted and Sentenced. The following individuals have been convicted and sentenced:
• Robert Tabor, 62, of Calumet, Oklahoma, pled guilty to conspiracy to embezzle more than $114,000 of net gaming revenues derived from the Lucky Star Casinos.   Tabor was the Arapaho District A-2 elected representative and Chairman of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Business Committee.  In April of 2008 he was sentenced to serve 12 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $114,376.47 in restitution. (Case No. CR-07-211)
• Colleen Tabor, 49, of Calumet, Oklahoma, pled guilty to embezzlement of $7,646.60 of Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribal funds derived from the Lucky Star Casinos.  She was wife of Robert Tabor.  In April of 2008 she was sentenced to serve 4 years probation and pay $7,646.60 in restitution. (Case No. CR-07-211)
• James Wayne Pedro , Sr., 69, of El Reno, Oklahoma, pled guilty to embezzling gaming revenues from the Lucky Star Casinos and also pled guilty to making a fraudulent statement to HUD.  Pedro was an elected member of the Business Committee of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.  In April of 2006 he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $193,235.77 in restitution to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and $6,277 to the Oklahoma Housing and Finance Agency. (Case No. CR-05-20

• Peggy Bigpond , 53, of Concho, Oklahoma, pled guilty to unlawfully receiving and converting gaming revenues from the Lucky Star Casinos to her own use.  Bigpond worked as Pedro’s secretary during a portion of his term of office on the Business Committee of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. In April of 2006 Bigpond was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $32,276.66 in restitution the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. (Case No. CR-05-204)

• Lea E. Schantz , 42, of El Reno, Oklahoma, pled guilty to receiving and converting gaming revenues from the Lucky Star Casinos, knowing that the funds had been embezzled.  Schantz also pled guilty to making a false statement to HUD. In April of 2006 Schantz was sentenced to serve 8 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $48,434 and $6,277 in restitution. (Case No. CR-05-205)
  
• Vera E. Franklin , 55, of El Reno, Oklahoma, pled guilty to embezzlement of $7,000 of Cheyenne-Arapaho net gaming revenues from the Lucky Star Casinos.  Franklin was an elected member of the Business Committee of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, serving as the Cheyenne District 2 representative.  Franklin was sentenced in October 2007 to serve one month in federal prison and pay $7,000 in restitution. (Case No. CR-07-73

B.      Convicted and Awaiting Sentencing. The following individuals have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing:

• Renee Island, 43, of Calumet, Oklahoma, was convicted by a jury in January 2008 of conspiracy and embezzlement of Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribal funds derived from the Lucky Star Casinos involving transfers totaling $15,900 of tribal funds between January and September 2003.  Island was employed by the Cheyenne-Arapaho A-2 District as the secretary to Robert Tabor.  (Case No. CR-07-49)
• Edward Dunn Whiteskunk, 51, of Hammond, Oklahoma, pled guilty to embezzling $5,919 of net gaming revenues from the Lucky Star Casinos.  Whiteskunk served as a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Business Committee and was the elected representative of the Cheyenne District 4. (Case No. CR-08-35)