Tribal Official and Contractor Embezzled over $3.5 Million

We investigated approximately $10 million in unsupported payments that were made to the Indian Pueblos Federal Development Corporation (IPFDC) and its partners, pursuant to IPFDC’s contract to develop and construct the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education buildings in Albuquerque, NM. Our investigation determined that former IPFDC President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Sanchez and New Mexico real estate owner Thomas Keesing stole over $3.5 million from the IPFDC between 2004 and 2008, by falsifying invoices for services that Keesing claimed he provided as a contractor for the IPFDC, including services on the two BIA buildings. Keesing then shared the proceeds of the fraudulently obtained payments with Sanchez. Sanchez pled guilty in the Federal District of New Mexico to embezzlement and attempted tax evasion and was sentenced to 51 months in prison. Keesing pled guilty to embezzlement and failure to file taxes and was sentenced to 35 months in prison. Sanchez and Keesing were also ordered to jointly repay $3,575,000 and were debarred from Federal contracts for 3 years.