Ute Mountain Ute Tribe Financial Fraud Case Brings Three More Guilty Pleas

Three more people with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe have pleaded guilty to charges related to embezzlement from the tribe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced Tuesday that Gloria Lee, Colindra House, and Freana Bancroft each pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge David L. West U.S. District Court in Durango as part of plea agreements. They join eight others who pleaded guilty to related charges in February. The defendants were reportedly part of a scheme that involved certain employees in the tribe’s Financial Services Department mailing checks for benefits to people who weren’t qualified to receive them. The recipients would then cash the checks and share a portion with the employees. According to court records, Lee was with the Financial Services Department when she began disseminating funds to House and Bancroft through unauthorized checks or Western Union transfers. House and Bancroft would keep a few hundred dollars for themselves from each transaction and return the bulk of the monies to Lee. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.