Chief challenges fraud charges

Last Friday (July 13), Caleen Sisk, tribal chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu in Shasta County and candidate for state Assembly on the November ballot, released a video on the tribe’s Facebook page responding to felony charges of fraud and grand theft filed against her.

According to the Redding Record Searchlight, Sisk (pictured) is accused of falsely claiming over 4,000 hours of work through In Home Supportive Services, which translated to $38,300 in payments between 2013 and 2017. In the video, Sisk challenges those charges by chronicling her involvement and caregiving for a relative, who is 60 years old and has Down syndrome.

Sisk argues that she corrected her timesheet protocol and is surprised by the charges, since she was told the investigation was over a year ago. A hearing is set for Aug. 7.