Tribe's ex-leader sentenced to prison, ordered to pay back $794,000 in embezzlement case

Anthony E. Street, 48, of Ponca City, pleaded guilty in June to conspiring with two other members of the Oklahoma tribe's business committee to embezzle more than $500,000 from the general fund by issuing themselves more than 300 checks while in office.

As punishment, Street will spend 41 months in prison, three years on probation and pay $794,000 in restitution under the sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron.

In return for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining embezzlement counts against Street. He faced up to five years in prison.

Attempts to reach tribe officials late Thursday were unsuccessful.

Gordon L. Warrior and Dawena Pappan pleaded guilty in separate cases to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars in casino proceeds from the tribe for their personal use and were sentenced in June to five years probation and ordered to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution.

Street served as president of the tribe for three years beginning in April 2005. Warrior was the tribe's vice president and Pappan was secretary and treasurer. Together they comprised the tribe's business committee and handled the day-to-day affairs.