Wanda George-Warren, the former executive director of the Catawba Nation was sentenced to two years probation on Monday for stealing more than $24,000 from the South Carolina tribe.

George-Warren, a tribal member, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of embezzlement. Federal authorities said she wrongfully billed the tribe for a trip to a United Nations conference on indigenous rights in Switzerland that included a side jaunt to Italy.

George-Warren, who helped the tribe get organized after winning federal recognition and settling its land claim, has already paid back $24,739.54, her lawyers said.

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Ex-tribe leader given probation (The Charlotte Observer 5/17)
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