Eight Ute Mtn. Ute members guilty

Eight members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe in southwest Colorado have pleaded guilty to embezzling or laundering $770,247 from the tribe in an elaborate scam over a four-year period.

In some instances the conspirators sent tribal money — some of which came from the U.S. government — to federal prison inmates who were not members of the tribe.

The eight defendants include tribal employee Oraleigh Jaramillo, who pocketed or pilfered $309,537 between 2011 and October 2015. Jaramillo and the seven others face between five to 20 years in prison per count and fines up to $250,000.

An FBI investigation is ongoing and could snare other tribal members, according to a news release by Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer. In fact, Gloria Lee, a ninth alleged co-conspirator, was recently charged.

The eight tribal members pleaded guilty this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge David West, according to a news release from Troyer, Denver FBI chief Calvin Shivers, and IRS criminal investigations chief Steven Osborne.

As part of the rip off, employees of the tribal Finances Services Department wrote fraudulent checks to certain tribal members, who then paid a kickback to the FSD employee.

Here are the other defendants who entered guilty pleas and the amounts they embezzled or laundered:

• Classia Rose Hammond, $65,509

• Loia K. House, $22,190 • Darrell Jonah Lee, $142,411

• Kevin Ryan Lee, $89,132 • Myreon Lehi, $23,280 • Ladelda Lopez, a.k.a. Ladelda Box, $34,823

• Jennifer Ann Pioche, $106,497