A former governor of Santa Ana Pueblo has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison on charges stemming from a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme.
Federal prosecutors say 61-year-old Bruce Sanchez received a 56-month prison term Wednesday followed by three years of supervised release.
Sanchez also was ordered to pay more than $655,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for federal taxes owed on the money he embezzled and failed to report.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to embezzlement and tax evasion in January.
Prosecutors say Sanchez and a real estate consultant embezzled more than $3.5 million from the Indian Pueblo Federal Development Corporation, where he was CEO and president, between 2003 and 2009.
The organization was formed by the 19 pueblos to develop the former Albuquerque Indian School site.
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