Ninth Circuit Affirms Conviction of Former Chukchansi CEO for Fraud and Theft from a Tribal Gaming Establishment

Here is the opinion in United States v. Livingston. An excerpt:

The panel affirmed convictions for mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341) and theft by an officer or employee of a gaming establishment on Indian lands (18 U.S.C. § 1168(b)).

The panel held that the location of the gaming establishment is not an element of the offense under § 1168(b), and that the allegations in the indictment were sufficiently specific to apprise the defendant of the specific offenses with which he was charged.

The panel also held that the district court’s jury instructions correctly defined “intent to defraud,” and that the district court did not abuse its discretion by admitting prior acts evidence under Fed. R. Evid. 404(b).

Here are the materials:

Livingston Opening Brief

US Answer Brief

Livingston Reply

Lower court materials here, here, here, and here.

Jeff Livingston was also the gaming manager at Grand Traverse Band.

Former GTB Economic Development Corp. CEO Jeff Livingston Sentenced to 24 Months for Defrauding Chukchansi Casino

From the Tribal Justice News release of October 7, 2011:

Former General Manager of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino Sentenced for Defrauding Casino (U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California)

U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced Jeff Livingston, 51, of Las Vegas to 24 months in prison for his conviction on six counts of mail fraud and three counts of theft committed during his employment as the general manager of Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. The evidence at trial showed that Livingston, Chukchansi’s general manger, executed a scheme to defraud Chukchansi by making a series of personal purchases using his business credit card and other Chukchansi funds. Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino is owned and operated by the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, a federally recognized Indian tribe in Madera County.

Our posts on Livingston’s motion to dismiss and indictment are here and here, respectively.

The rest of the Tribal Justice News release for October 7, 2011 is here:

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Former Tribal Gaming Operations CEO Indicted for Theft from a Tribal Organization

Here is the indictment in United States v. Jeff Livingston (E.D. Cal.). And an excerpt from the California AG’s office press release about the case:

The joint investigation revealed that Livingston made unauthorized purchases with the casino’s corporate credit card, including: 
– A $20,000 down payment on a new Ford Mustang Shelby; 
– A $5,000 down payment on a new Ford Fusion for the casino’s former Vice President of Marketing; and 
– A $7,000 Mercedes Benz PGA National Golf Championship package in Maui, Hawaii. 

Livingston attempted to conceal the down payments by making it appear as if they were part of a ten car purchase he made for a casino giveaway.