TACOMA — A former Copalis Beach woman accused of stealing more than $50,000 while she worked in the Quinault Indian Nation’s finance department has been convicted of 20 counts of embezzlement of tribal funds.
U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle of Tacoma convicted 48-year-old Ann Ludwig on Monday after a three-day trial. She was fired in December 2008 and now lives in Las Vegas, Nev.
The U.S. attorney’s office says records show Ludwig was the only accounting specialist with check-writing authority on the petty cash account. That account was used to help tribal members who needed to cash checks or receive change after paying their cable and utilities bill.
Sentencing was set for Aug. 20. The charge is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
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