SEATTLE — The former police chief of the Swinomish Police Department has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $34,000 from the tribe in northwest Washington.
Court documents show that 57-year-old Thomas Schlicker entered a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on Wednesday to theft of tribal funds. He could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when he is sentenced in November.
Tribal chairman Brian Cladoosby said in a statement that Schlicker took advantage of the tribe to enrich himself. He says the tribe expects Schlicker to repay the money.
Schlicker served as police chief from 1997 to 2014. Court documents show he deposited checks made out to the police department into a separate bank account that he had set up and used the money for his own purposes.
A message left with his federal public defender Thursday was not immediately returned.
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