Former Gila River Council Member Ordered to Repay Over $38,000 to Tribal Organization

PHOENIX—Franklin J. Jackson, Sr., 63, of Bapchule, Ariz., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Howard D. McKibben to five years of probation, ordered to pay $38,893 in restitution, and perform 100 hours of community service. Jackson previously pleaded guilty to embezzlement from a Tribal organization.

In the course of Jackson’s guilty plea, he admitted that during the period of Sept. 15, 2007 through March 4, 2009, he embezzled funds from the Gila River Indian Community’s Lone Butte Industrial Development Corporation (LBIDC). While serving as a board member on the Corporation’s board of directors, Jackson committed the embezzlement by submitting fraudulent expense and stipend claims. Jackson admitted that he regularly submitted fraudulent expense vouchers to the LBIDC for items such as meals, meetings, and mileage when, in fact, the events underlying the claimed meals, meetings, and/or mileage had either not occurred or were not in furtherance of LBIDC official business. In the course of the embezzlement, Jackson regularly claimed that the meals and meetings had occurred with well-known individuals within the Gila River Indian Community.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance and cooperation of the Gila River Indian Community. The prosecution is being handled by Frederick A. Battista, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER: CR-11-563-PHX-FJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2012-045(Jackson)