Former Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Official Who Stole from Tribe is Sentenced

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Steven Thomas, 39, of Mashantucket, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to one day of imprisonment, time already served, for stealing from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Government. Thomas also was ordered to serve two years of supervised release, the first three months of which must be served in home confinement, and to pay restitution of $177,603.69.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Thomas served as the assistant director of the Office of Natural Resources Protection, an agency of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Government. As an employee of the tribal government, Thomas was required to complete and submit time cards on a weekly basis to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN) documenting that he reported to work for 40 hours each week. However, Thomas was a “no-show” employee and rarely reported to work or performed work of any kind. Between January 2007 and January 2008, Thomas submitted false weekly time cards to the MPTN that falsely reported the hours he worked. During that period, Thomas was paid approximately $177,603.69 by the MPTN based upon the false weekly time cards.

On October 3, 2013, Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of theft from an Indian tribal government. Thomas resigned his position as treasurer of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council in advance of his guilty plea.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Interior-Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Mattei and Douglas P. Morabito.