The former director of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's domestic violence department has been sentenced to four years' probation and fined $10,000 for embezzling money meant for victims.
U.S. District Judge John Gerrard sentenced Andrea Rodriguez on Friday.
She already has paid the fine, plus $19,431 in restitution.
Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization.
In a written plea agreement, the prosecutor said from July 2019 until the end of October 2020, Rodriguez was responsible for grant money that the tribe received as part of the Victims of Crime Act.
The money was intended to be used to support Ponca tribal members dealing with domestic violence-related issues. Instead, Rodriguez created false reimbursement requests for medical bills, grocery bills and home furnishing expenses purporting to be for victims and used the money to pay her own personal bills.