An Avondale woman has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars from members of a local Native American tribe.
Freida Ann Battise-Moore has also been ordered to pay $260,000 in restitution after stealing from 49 members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Battise-Moore worked for the tribe from 2006 to 2013.
She was a fiduciary, meaning she was a court-appointed representative for the tribe’s incapacitated members. She received their Social Security checks and paid their bills, among other duties.
Prosecutors say that before Batisse-Moore was fired, she continually stole money, some of which she spent on gambling and expensive sports tickets.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
