OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A former Winnebago Tribal Council member has pleaded guilty to his role in stealing from the tribe's casino in Iowa.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that Lawrence Payer is one of nine former council members accused of a conspiracy to siphon more than $327,000 from the WinneVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.
As part of his plea agreement with prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Omaha, Payer admits only to misapplying funds belonging to an Indian gaming establishment. Conspiracy and other charges against him will be dropped if the court accepts the plea agreement.
Prosecutors have recommended that Payer be sentenced to five years of probation and be ordered to repay any money he illegally obtained from the casino.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com