Three charged with stealing $18.6M from Auburn Community

Tuesday, August 21, 2012  

Three people, including a former tribal administrator, were charged with stealing $18.6 million from the United Auburn Indian Community of California.

Greg Scott Baker, 45, the former administrator; Darrell Patrick Hinz, 47; and Bart Wayne Volen, 53, are accusing of submitting fraudulent invoices to the tribe for construction work. Hinz is a consultant and Volen is a general contractor and developer who did business with the tribe.

The Internal Revenue Service earlier this year singled out the three for taking millions of dollars from the tribe and pouring it into commercial properties, vacation homes, luxury cars and other assets across the country and potentially overseas.

The tribe fired Baker after the investigation became public.

Get the Story:
Two charged in tribal fraud out on bail; third held subject to financial inquiry (The Sacramento Bee 8/21)
Federal indictment in tribe fraud is made public (The Sacramento Business Journal 8/20)

Related Stories:
Auburn Community fires administrator over $18.6M scheme (3/30)
Sheriff's deputy denies involvement in $18.6M Auburn scam (3/23)
IRS accuses trio of bilking Auburn Community out of millions (3/22)