MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nichole Marie Schell-Loper, age 43, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 5 years of supervised release for Embezzlement And Theft From Indian Tribal Organizations, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1163. In addition to the standard rules and conditions of probation, Loper was ordered to pay $20,000.00 in restitution to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in monthly installments beginning on Dec. 20, 2019 and by surrendering 100% of any state and federal tax refunds. Loper was also ordered to not incur any additional charges on credit and not to open any new lines of credit without the prior approval of her probation officer.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw Nation Tribal Police. The Indictment alleged that from in or about January 2016, to in or about June 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, stole, embezzled and knowingly and willfully converted to her own use monies in excess of $1,000.00 which had been entrusted to her custody and care as an employee of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, an Indian tribal organization.
United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “The defendant enriched herself with funds entrusted to her that were intended for those facing financial hardship. This sort of abuse of position to benefit oneself deprives those in genuine need of assistance and lessens the impact the victimized organization could have on the community. This sentence holds the defendant accountable and requires her to repay the funds she embezzled."
The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah McAmis represented the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
