TOWER – A Fortune Bay Resort Casino employee has been charged in federal court with stealing over $300,000 from the Bois Forte Band operation over a six-year period.
Jennifer Lynn Boutto, 32, is alleged to have stolen $315,739.87 in money, funds, and credits from June 2013 to October 2019, according to a complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. U.S. Attorney Erica MacDonald, who filed the charging documents, provided no information about what position Boutto held at the casino or how the money was allegedly stolen. No additional details were available on the U.S. Attorney’s website.
Bois Forte Tribal Chairwoman Cathy Chavers issued a terse one-line statement about the case.
“We have been in contact with the U.S. Attorney’s office and are aware of the proceedings and will comment once this matter is concluded,” said Chavers.
The charge of embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or an unspecified fine, according to Title 18 of the U.S. Code.
A related section of federal law describes a specific crime of theft by officers or employees of gaming establishments on Indian lands, which carries a maximum $1 million fine and up to 20 years in prison, but Boutto was charged only with the lesser offense. Multiple calls by the Timberjay to the U.S. Attorney’s media number asking for clarification about the charging decision were not returned by press time.