Department of Justice

United States Attorney Sheldon J. (Shelly) Sperling

Eastern District of Oklahoma

February 12, 2008

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that JULIE MARIE LAMBERT, age 29, of Atoka, Oklahoma, pled guilty to Embezzlement by Tribal Employee, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1163.

"Charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. LAMBERT, an employee of an Indian tribal organization, the Choctaw Nation Casino located in Stringtown, Oklahoma, embezzled $4,600.00 belonging to the Choctaw Nation that had been entrusted to the custody or care of an employee of the Choctaw Nation," stated U.S. Attorney Sheldon J. Sperling.

"LAMBERT normally worked in the vault counting money but, on occasion, she provided relief for payout tellers. On August 9, 2007, LAMBERT provided lunch relief for a payout teller at one of the casino windows. When the payout clerk returned from lunch, she discovered several bundles of cash were missing. Casino security was called and started an investigation. A count of the cash on hand and payouts revealed that $4,600.00 in cash was missing. LAMBERT was interviewed and confessed to taking the cash from the casino," U.S. Attorney Sperling continued.

"The Honorable Kimberly E. West, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the defendant's guilty plea and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following its completion. The defendant remains free on bond pending sentencing."

"The statutory range of punishment is up to five years imprisonment and/or up to $250,000.00 in fines," stated U.S. Attorney Sperling. "A preliminary guideline calculation projects a probationary sentence."

"First Assistant United States Attorney Douglas A. Horn represented the government."