Wyandotte Man Sentenced for Stealing $10,000+ in Grant Funds Allocated for Tribal Youth Programs

A man who stole grant funding awarded to the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma was sentenced Thursday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Travis Neil Patton, 33, of Wyandotte, to five years of probation for theft from Indian tribal organization. He was further ordered to pay $10, 782.60 in restitution.

Between June and October 2019, Patton knowingly embezzled $10, 782.60 worth of grant funding that had been awarded to the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma by the federal government. The grant money was allocated to support programs to help tribal youth struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Patton had access to and control of the funds when he committed the crime.

The Department of Health and Human Services- Office of Inspector General and FBI were the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Cella prosecuted the case.