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Read Full BioA former Muscogee (Creek) Nation accountant was sentenced to six years in prison after embezzling $25 million in funds from the tribe’s gaming enterprise, the majority of which he used to gamble as a VIP high-roller in Las Vegas.
According to investigators, between July 2016 and February 2024, Michael Anthony Houser embezzled $24,907,436.07 while serving as a manager for the Muscogee Nation Gaming Operations Authority Board. He was sentenced to 70 months in prison for the theft and 36 months for tax fraud, which will be served concurrently.
Prosecutors say he sent much of the money into Las Vegas casino accounts, living as a “high-dollar” VIP gambler. In addition he used part of the funds to buy luxury goods such as a Rolex watch and Louis Vuitton merchandise. He also paid for private school tuition, cars (including a 2024 Lexus and 2022 Cadillac), a high-end boat, and funneled some money into investment accounts.
In a press release, United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson, stated, “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing and prosecuting those who defraud Tribal nations in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“In this case, we were honored to join together with our partners in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and federal law enforcement to promote the mutual protection of Tribal assets and resources.”
Earlier this month, an ex-chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was sentenced to 42 months in prison after abusing his position to extort companies commissioned by the tribe to develop a casino project.
Houser Used Position to Embezzle Funds for Years
The Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises (MNGE) operates multiple casino properties across eastern Oklahoma, including its flagship River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, which draws roughly 10,000 guests daily. MNGE is one of the largest tribal operators in the U.S. It has implemented a series of security measures across its casinos, but was unable to spot years of embezzlement.
The company hired Houser as an accountant in 2011, but the fraud began in July 2016, after he was promoted to accounts payable manager. According to court filings, he identified a legitimate vendor whose work for the Nation had ended but whose profile remained active in the accounting system.
This allowed him to change the vendor’s banking information to an account he controlled and generate a stream of bogus invoices in the vendor’s name.
Sometimes he approved the invoices using his own administrative authority and, when questioned, produced fabricated paperwork that included a copied signature from his supervisor, according to court documents.
Houser was also ordered to pay $17,337,949.50 in restitution to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and $8,205,834.00 in restitution to the IRS. By the time of sentencing, he had surrendered more than $7.5 million in cash, casino credits, and forfeited assets that were traced to the embezzlement.
He was ordered to self-report to a designated prison on November 10 to begin serving his sentence without parole.
