SAN CARLOS WOMAN SENTENCED TO 2 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR EMBEZZLEMENT OF TRIBAL FUNDS

Former Tribal Employee Embezzled and Stole More Than $270,000 in Tribal Funds

PHOENIX – On Monday, Oct. 15, 2012, Holley Faye Youvella, 34, of San Carlos, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Martone to 24 months in federal prison. Youvella was also ordered to pay $272,407 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service. On July 5, 2012, Youvella pleaded guilty to embezzlement of tribal funds.

In the course of Youvella’s prior guilty plea, she admitted that between Oct. 2008 and March 2010, while serving as a bookkeeper for Peridot Shopping Center, Inc. (a San Carlos Apache Tribal Organization), she embezzled approximately $268,106 of the shopping center’s money by cashing fraudulent checks drawn from the shopping center’s checking account, all of which were made payable to either herself or a member of her family. Youvella also admitted that between June 2010 and Aug. 2010, she stole approximately $4,301 by directing multiple fraudulent electronic payments from the shopping center’s checking account to personal credit and utility accounts containing balances owed by Youvella and a family member.

Youvella is out of custody and was ordered to self-surrender for service of her sentence on Dec. 10, 2012.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the San Carlos Apache Tribal Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Frederick A. Battista, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-11-2078-PHX-FJM  
RELEASE NUMBER:     2012-211(Youvella)

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/