Makah Tribe — Makah Tribal Council
Outcome
Ryland Chad Bowechop, 38, former Makah Tribal Council member, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for embezzling tribal funds between 2010 and 2014 by using a Makah tribal credit card for personal expenses including casino cash advances.
Details
Makah Tribe — Tribal Council Member Embezzlement (2010–2014)
Outcome: Ryland Chad Bowechop, 38, of Bellingham, Washington, a former member of the Makah Tribal Council, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for embezzling Makah tribal funds between June 2010 and July 2014 by using a tribal credit card for personal expenses including cash advances at casinos.
Bowechop pleaded guilty in February 2016, admitting that between June 2010 and July 2014 he used a Makah tribal credit card for personal expenses, including cash advances at casinos and other unauthorized personal purchases. As a Makah Tribal Council member, he had access to the tribal credit card and exploited that access for personal financial gain.
The Makah Tribe is located on the Olympic Peninsula in Neah Bay, Washington. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.
Primary Source: Former Makah Tribal Leader Sentenced to Prison for Embezzlement of Tribal Funds
How Crucible Prevents This
Bowechop's method — tribal credit card cash advances at casinos — is one of the most common and detectable patterns of tribal fund embezzlement. Crucible's credit card monitoring hook flags ATM withdrawals and casino cash advances on tribal organizational cards as prohibited uses requiring pre-authorization. An automated monthly review comparing all credit card charges against approved expense categories would have detected the pattern within the first billing cycle.
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