A former forestry director for the Yurok Tribe was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for embezzling $850,000 from the Northern California tribe.
U.S. District Judge William Alsup sentenced Roland L. Raymond to prison and ordered $852,000 in restitution after taking U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs funds that were authorized for environmental uses, according to U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. Raymond had pleaded guilty to embezzling.
From 2007 to 2010, Raymond used false invoices from Mad River Biologists, a Eureka-based biological consulting firm, to steam money. The MRB owner was charged separately and that case is still pending.
MRB is accused of funneling most of the money from false invoices back to Raymond, who spent the money on gambling and drugs, according to the government.
Raymond, 51, Eureka, was charged one year ago with a single count of conspiracy to embezzle from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Case: U.S. v. Raymond, No. 13-cr-24WHA
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