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. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing on Jan. 29.
Draper failed to appear for a Feb. 5 hearing, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant, according to court records.
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. The jail log shows he has remained in custody since Jan. 30.
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.
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, according to a news release from the United States Department of Justice.
The DOJ chose to charge Draper in federal court following a review of his criminal history, U.S. Attorney’s Office Communications Director Emily Langlie told The Olympian in an emailed statement.
“Since Mr. Draper has done extensive state time without breaking the cycle of crime, it is appropriate for him to be prosecuted federally where there will be closer supervision following his prison term (if convicted) because federal probation has lower caseloads and are able to rigorously supervise defendants,” Langlie said.
The alleged criminal conduct also spanned different counties and tribal land, Langlie said. In such cases, she said federal prosecutors can seamlessly prosecute the connected conduct.
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.
The embezzlement investigation
A probable cause statement filed in the Lewis County Superior Court case describes the extent of the fraud suspected by Cowlitz Tribal Police.
A Cowlitz Tribal Housing Manager reported the suspected fraud to police on Jan. 7. The manager alleged Draper, who was employed by the tribe, stole tribal funds by bypassing normal approval routes for work done on a tribal property.
A tribal accountant identified at least five purchase orders that were billed by a company named after his partner, according to the statement. The work associated with these orders was allegedly never completed.
Following an initial audit, the tribe estimated that Draper and his partner stole well over $100,000 from the tribe. His partner has also pleaded not guilty to five counts of first-degree theft in Lewis County Superior Court, court records show.
Police suspect Draper used the funds to gamble at the Lucky Eagle Casino. Recent gambling activity showed he deposited over $133,000 with the casino in 2025, according to the statement. Meanwhile, his 2025 income from the tribe allegedly totaled $199,624.
The tribe placed Draper on administrative leave on Jan. 6 and ordered him to return all tribal property, including credit cards, according to court records. On Jan. 12, the accountant discovered Draper charged $12,731 to a tribal account for a purchase at a home improvement store, the probable cause statement says.
Investigators are conducting forensic accounting and may add additional theft charges to the case, per the statement.
The federal complaint references the tribal investigation and mentions one additional instance of suspected fraud. 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 the DOJ news release.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information from Lewis County Superior Court records and comment from a U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 5:45 AM.
