Jessica Engle, former CEO Of Tribal Telecom subsidiary pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling over $500,000 from the Yurok Tribe

 

The U.S. Attorney's Office from the Northern District of California just issued a press release about the plea. "Engle faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of theft from programs receiving federal funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666 and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163."

September 4, 2025 press release:

Jessica Engle pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday afternoon to embezzling more than $500,000 from the Yurok Tribe.

Engle, 42, of Gold Hill, Oregon, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 25, 2024, on charges of embezzling approximately $579,574 from an Indian tribal organization and theft from programs receiving federal funds.   She pleaded guilty to both counts in the indictment.  In connection with pleading guilty, Engle admitted that she embezzled funds from the Yurok Tribe while she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Yurok Telecommunications Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Yurok Tribe, and converted the funds to her own use.  

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.  

Engle’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Maxine M. Chesney.  Engle faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of theft from programs receiving federal funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666 and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163.  Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Sampson and Sophia Cooper are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI appreciate the assistance of the Yurok Tribal Police.

October 4, 2024 press release:

A federal grand jury has indicted Jessica Engle on charges that she embezzled from an Indian tribal organization and stole funds from a program receiving federal funds.

Engle, 42, of Gold Hill, Ore., was arrested on Oct. 2, 2024, and made an initial appearance in federal district court in Medford, Ore., that same day.  Engle is scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in San Francisco on Oct. 16, 2024, to face the charges.

According to an indictment filed Sept. 25, 2024, and unsealed Oct. 3, 2024, Engle served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Yurok Telecommunications Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Yurok Tribe.  Between July 2021 and May 2022, Engle allegedly embezzled approximately $579,574 from the Yurok Tribe.  In the year preceding Engle’s alleged theft, the Yurok Tribe received over $10,000 in funding from the federal government.

The indictment charges Engle with one count of embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163, and one count of theft from programs receiving federal funds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Engle faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1163 and 10 years in prison for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions per count.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josiah Bournes is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Soana Katoa.  This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI appreciate the assistance of the Yurok Tribal Police.