Ex-Chickasaw Nation employee who funneled tribe's money to his own crypto account sentenced
A former Chickasaw Nation employee who stole nearly half a million dollars from the central Oklahoma tribe must report to prison by the end of the month.
A federal judge sentenced Christopher Covington, of Ada, to two years in prison and ordered him to pay $477,500 in restitution.
Covington had pleaded guilty in March 2022 to stealing money distributed by a federal program.
He had worked in the Chickasaw Nation accounting department and transferred the tribe's money to his personal cryptocurrency account over a four-year span ending in 2021, according to court documents.
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The documents say the thefts added up to $486,000, with insurance covering all but $61,000 of the loss. After an audit uncovered the missing money, tribal officials said they put more controls in place to deter similar crimes.
The Chickasaw Nation is based in Ada and has more than 80,000 citizens. Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby said in a statement that the tribe appreciated the work of federal investigators and prosecutors.
"We believe holding people accountable for their actions and working toward restitution are important as we work to achieve justice," Anoatubby said. "We are hopeful this case will help deter others from committing similar crimes."
Covington must report by Oct. 26 to a federal prison in Seagoville, Texas, about 20 miles southeast of Dallas. He must also serve three years of supervised release.
Lance Phillips, an Oklahoma City attorney who represented Covington in the case, did not immediately return a message seeking comment about the sentence.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Man who stole from Oklahoma tribe for crypto account sent to prison
