Ex-accountant for Chickasaw Nation pleads guilty to theft
Former employee says he took almost $500K for crypto account
A former Chickasaw Nation employee pleaded guilty to funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the southern Oklahoma tribe’s general fund to his personal cryptocurrency account.
Federal court filings say the thefts added up to $486,000 from January 2017 to May 2021.
In a plea deal submitted to the court Friday, Christopher Covington admitted he stole the money when he worked as an accounting department manager and agreed to pay it all back to the Chickasaw Nation. He pleaded guilty to a single count of theft of money distributed by a federal program, a felony charge that carries up to 10 years in prison and an additional $250,000 in fines.
The Chickasaw Nation and other tribal nations receive regular funding from federal programs to help pay for housing, education, health care and other costs. The financial support was promised in exchange for ceding vast land holdings to the United States.
The plea agreement was signed March 9 and became public Friday, just one day after the criminal charge was filed in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The case was first reported by KWTV-9.
As part of the plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue any other charges in the case. They wrote that they believed the agreement was fair and that the prompt guilty plea was in the best interest of the public. Federal criminal cases can take months or years to resolve.
It’s not immediately clear when Covington, 41, will be sentenced. His attorney has not responded to a message regarding the case.
The Chickasaw Nation is one of the largest tribal nations in the U.S., with 73,000 citizens.
It operates a large network of businesses, including the WinStar World Casino and Resort near the OklahomaTexas border, that generate revenue for government operations.
Covington lives in Ada, where the Chickasaw Nation is headquartered. He started working for the tribe in 2011, the same year he graduated from local East Central University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. An online profile in Covington’s name describes him as the tribal nation’s cash management accountant.
He has not been the subject of any complaints to or investigations by the Oklahoma Accountancy Board, executive director Randy Ross said. His certified public accountant license is currently inactive.
In a written statement, the Chickasaw Nation said Covington became a manager in the accounting department in October 2016, three months before the thefts began. An audit later uncovered that money was missing.
“It was found that Mr. Covington misused his position of trust to circumvent internal controls that have otherwise been effective,” said Dakota Cole, treasury secretary for the Chickasaw Nation.
Cole said the loss was covered by insurance, and that tribal officials have added extra checks and balances to prevent future thefts.
Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs for the USA Today Network’s Sunbelt Region. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534.