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Former tribal council member gets probation for casino theft

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August 7th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) ā€” A former Winnebago Tribal Council member has been given probation for his role in the theft of funds from the Nebraska-based tribe’s casino in Iowa. The Sioux City (Iowa) Journal reports that Travis Mallory was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to three years of probation. He’d pleaded guilty in March to one count of theft of funds belonging to an Indian gaming establishment.

Mallory is one of nine former council members who were accused of a conspiracy to siphon more than $327,000 from the WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, Iowa. Charges against two of them were dismissed. An FBI investigation determined that while on the tribal council, the members had given themselves raises and bonuses totaling $327,500 directly from the casino without approving them at council meetings.