Former CEO Of Tribal Subsidiary Charged With Embezzling Over $500,000 From Yurok Tribe

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Jessica Engle on charges that she embezzled from an Indian tribal organization and stole funds from a program receiving federal funds.

Engle, 42, of Gold Hill, Ore., was arrested on Oct. 2, 2024, and made an initial appearance in federal district court in Medford, Ore., that same day.  Engle is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in San Francisco on Oct. 16, 2024, to face the charges.

According to an indictment filed Sept. 25, 2024, and unsealed Oct. 3, 2024, Engle served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Yurok Telecommunications Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Yurok Tribe.  Between July 2021 and May 2022, Engle allegedly embezzled approximately $579,574 from the Yurok Tribe.  In the year preceding Engle’s alleged theft, the Yurok Tribe received over $10,000 in funding from the federal government.

The indictment charges Engle with one count of embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163, and one count of theft from programs receiving federal funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Engle faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163 and 10 years in prison for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions per count.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josiah Bournes is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Soana Katoa.  This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI appreciate the assistance of the Yurok Tribal Police.
 

Jessica Engle Indictment