Over the weekend, the San Carlos Apache Tribe announced that it has hired a forensic accounting firm to conduct an audit following recent allegations of embezzlement by the tribe’s own staffers.
Four employees, including Tribal Secretary Santana Duane Dillon, have all been placed on paid administrative leave pending this review. While the tribal council states none of them have been “accused of any wrongdoing,” others disagree.
San Carlos Apaches with deep knowledge of the situation accuse the staffers of cashing fraudulent checks — using the tribe’s funeral assistance fund by creating hundreds of fake names for spouses or siblings, who are not enrolled.
The family of each deceased relative is entitled to $850.
Established in 2019, the burial expense program paid out close to $470,000 within the last six months alone. That’s according to a recent council meeting, during which the team responsible for overseeing this fund disclosed financially helping the families of roughly 550 decedents.
In a statement, the tribe shared it remains “committed to ensuring that all funds are accurately accounted for,” adding that it will not comment further “because this involves personnel matters and the large number of transactions.”
When asked if the FBI may also be involved, the Phoenix Field Office declined to comment on whether any criminal investigation is underway in accordance with the federal law enforcement agency’s policy.
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