3 accused of stealing from Santee Sioux in Neb.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Three people have been indicted on unrelated federal charges of stealing money from the Santee Sioux Tribe in northeast Nebraska.

A release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Omaha shows 51-year-old Karen Red Owl, 41-year-old Duane Whipple and 36-year-old Bianco White, all of Niobrara, were indicted Tuesday.

Red Owl and Whipple each face a count of embezzlement. White faces one charge of theft.

Jan Sharp of the U.S. Attorney's Office said Thursday that a single investigation led to indictments against Red Owl and Whipple. However, their alleged crimes are not related, Sharp said.

Court documents say Red Owl used her position in the Santee Sioux tribal court to alter deposit slips and steal more than $1,000 from the tribe's bank account. Whipple is accused of using his position in the tribe's finance office to steal more than $1,000. Investigators say Whipple issued himself unauthorized payroll advances and issued checks to third parties to pay for personal expenses for himself and others.

White is accused of stealing more than $1,000 from slot machines at the tribe's Ohiya Casino in Niobrara.

Federal court records do not list attorneys for Red Owl, Whipple or White, and none of the three had publicly listed telephone numbers.