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Second Attempt at Theft of Big Pine Paiute Tribal Funds

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OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE  RELEASE

January 11, 2025

Second Attempt at Theft of Tribal Funds 

On January 2, 2025, the Banking Relations Manager from US Bank contacted the Big Pine Paiute Tribal  Office to verify the closure of a Certificate of Deposit belonging to the Big Pine Paiute Tribe. The US Bank  representative stated that on December 31, 2024, Harold Pierce Jr presented a letter at the Bishop  Branch, which appeared to be signed by Cheryl Levine, claiming to be the Tribal Chairperson, on Tribal  letterhead, and giving Mr. Pierce authorization to close out the Tribe’s CD and receive a cashier’s check  for the value of the CD (approximately $87,000) made out to Eva Bacoch at her personal physical  address. This second attempt to take over the Tribe’s funds was somewhat successful, as the branch  teller closed the account but did not put the check in Eva Bacoch’s name as requested. Per bank policy  the account was closed and the cashier’s check was made out to Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens  Valley. Harold Pierce Jr left the branch with the cashier’s check in hand.

Following notification from our Banking Relations Manager and verification that this was not an  authorization signed by the legitimate Chairperson the bank determined the action to be fraudulent. US  Bank verified that the check was not cashed and placed a stop payment on the check on January 3, 2025.  The Tribe’s funds will be reinstated into a new CD and the matter has been referred to their fraud  department.

This was the second attempt by the same individuals since May 2024, when they had presented a letter  signed by Cheryl Levine, and emailed to the bank by Eva Bacoch and David Moose from their personal  email addresses, attempting to change the signatories on the CD. Since then, all Tribal accounts have  been flagged for attempted fraud, however, the CD is not managed by the local branch and the flag was  missed by the branch teller. This situation has been corrected and we are assured that everyone at the  branch is aware of who is an authorized signer and who is not.

This action from those who are not legitimately authorized is a criminal act of theft (18 US Code 11 163- Embezzlement and theft from an Indian Tribe). The Tribe has filed a report with the Bishop Police  Department and is following up with the District Attorney’s office to prosecute.

The Tribe has protected the Tribe’s assets and will continue to adjust and initiate new safeguards as  needed. The Tribe continues to investigate this matter and has already communicated with the BIA and  FBI through legal counsel.

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dee
dee
Guest
30 days ago

Shouldn’t the Cal State att general Prosecute

IYKYK
IYKYK
Guest
1 month ago

These people should all go to jail. How much lower can you go?

BP Tribal Member
BP Tribal Member
Guest
1 month ago

I don’t like dis-enrolling tribal members but these people need to be disenrolled. They think they can do absolutely anything and get away with it. They will never stop attacking the Tribe and our tribal members. Harold, Dave, Cheryl, Eva and the rest of that crew should be embarrassed. You people are an embarrassment to our Tribe. This is so sad and unacceptable. Give it up already, no one wants you in leadership ever again.

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