OKLAHOMA CITY – Cayle Leigh Klinekole of Elgin was sentenced April 15 to five years of probation and to pay restitution of nearly $200,000 for embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization.
According to court documents and public record, Klinekole, 48, a Native American, worked at the Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache Intertribal Land Use Committee (“KCA”) as the executive director in 2016-17. The KCA is a designated representative body of each of the three tribes authorized to manage and conduct business regarding jointly owned lands.
During her employment, Klinekole stole funds by forging checks, entering into labor agreements with companies without proper authorization, and making unauthorized purchases on credit accounts at different vendors, said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester of the Western District of Oklahoma.
Klinekole was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2019 and pleaded guilty to the felony charge in late October 2020, records show.
U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin sentenced Klinekole on April 15 to serve five years of probation, including home confinement for the first year, and 50 hours of community service. Goodwin also ordered her to pay $194,573 in restitution to the KCA Intertribal Land Use Committee. In announcing the sentence, Goodwin noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and the need for the sentence to reflect the seriousness of the offense.
The case resulted from an investigation by the Comanche Nation Police Department, Troester said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Cárdenas prosecuted the case.