Man accused of embezzling $100,000 from Cowlitz Tribe faces federal charge

A Lewis County man is now facing a federal charge as he stands accused of embezzling money from the Cowlitz Tribe and eluding deputies in Thurston County.

Michael Lee Draper, 47, appeared in federal court in Tacoma Tuesday where he is charged with unlawfully possessing firearms.

Law enforcement arrested Draper on Jan. 22 after he allegedly sped through a red light in Grand Mound and led Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies on a high speed pursuit, The Olympian previously reported. He eventually crashed his truck through a fence and ran away on foot in the 20900 block of Drewery Road near Rochester, leaving behind a passenger, according to court records. Deputies, as well as Sheriff Derek Sanders, reportedly located him in a gully with help from Washington State Patrol’s airplane Smokey.

Deputies handed off both Draper and his passenger to Cowlitz Tribal Police who wanted them on suspicion of embezzling more than $100,000 from the tribe, Sanders previously shared on Facebook. Lewis County Superior Court records indicate Draper has been charged with five counts of first-degree theft.

The Thurston County jail log indicates deputies booked him on Jan. 30 on suspicion of crimes related to the pursuit and items recovered from the truck Draper drove. On Feb. 4, Draper appeared in Thurston County Superior Court where Judge John Skinder set bail at $100,000.

That same day, the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Draper with six counts. * Attempting to elude a pursuing vehicle * Second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm * Unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine. * Reckless driving * Hit and run property damage * Obstructing a law enforcement officer

Draper pleaded not guilty during a Feb. 6 arraignment hearing in Thurston County Superior Court.

In the federal case, Draper is accused of unlawfully possessing a black AR rifle and a pistol. Both guns had no serial number, suggesting they are “ghost guns,” the complaint states.

Law enforcement said they recovered the weapons from his truck with a search warrant following the Jan. 22 pursuit. Draper’s prior convictions prohibit him from possessing firearms, according to court records.

The federal complaint describes the nature of the Cowlitz Tribal Police investigation. Tribal police alleged Draper made a fraudulent purchase using a tribal account at an electrical supply store in Olympia on Jan. 22.

Thurston County court records indicate deputies recovered a Home Depot Cowlitz Tribe Credit Card from a backpack belonging to Draper. Inside the truck’s center console, deputies also allegedly found two enterprise fleet management fuel cards that noted the Cowlitz Tribe.

Draper remains under investigation by the Cowlitz Tribal Police, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice.

If convicted on the federal charge, Draper faces up to 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release as well as a fine up to $250,000, per the DOJ release.

Federal court records indicate Draper has been appointed a public defense attorney. The Olympian has asked the attorney for comment.

Draper is due back in federal court for a detention hearing on March 2 and a preliminary examination hearing on March 10.

A jury trial for Draper’s Thurston County Superior Court case has been tentatively scheduled for March 30.