A Friday hearing is scheduled to address the trial calendar in the federal case against former White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer Karl Eugene Leslie, whose trial is currently set for April 2027, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Prosecutors also anticipate seeking a superseding indictment that would add at least 10 more victims, the station reported. Leslie already faces a 15-count federal indictment accusing him of aggravated sexual abuse, kidnapping, and sexual abuse through fear and coercion.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, Leslie was indicted in December 2025, with prosecutors alleging the crimes happened while he was on duty. A defense motion cited by the station says the government anticipates a superseding indictment adding at least 10 victims. FOX 10 also reported that discovery materials exceed 25,000 documents and five terabytes of bodycam footage.
A 17-Year Career Inside Tribal Law Enforcement
Leslie, 42, served as an active law enforcement officer with the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department for more than 17 years, from April 2007 until June 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was arrested by federal agents on January 7, 2026, in Canyon Day, a community within the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, per the Justice Department. The reservation, which spans more than 1.6 million acres in eastern Arizona with its tribal police headquarters in Whiteriver, is patrolled by the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department, according to the tribe itself.
The FBI has accused Leslie of sexually abusing three victims between 2020 and 2023, alleging he raped and kidnapped two victims, including a minor, and that he coerced a third into sex by threatening her, per the FBI. In January 2026, the FBI Phoenix Division's Pinetop/Lakeside Resident Agency said Leslie is suspected of targeting both male and female victims over a broader five-year span from 2019 through June 2024, and the bureau set up a dedicated online portal for potential victims to come forward.
What National Data Can—and Cannot—Show
A national study cited by the National Institute of Justice found that 56.1 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women had experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. This broad population estimate does not establish the prevalence or circumstances of alleged abuse by tribal officers, and it cannot determine what happened in Leslie's case.
Federal Civil Rights Charges Carry Steep Penalties
The indictment charges Leslie with deprivation of rights under color of law, alongside charges of aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor told FOX 10 that color-of-law charges target public officials who use government power, authority, or a badge to violate someone's constitutional rights.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 242, deprivation of rights under color of law can carry penalties up to life imprisonment or the death penalty when the underlying violation includes aggravated sexual abuse or kidnapping, according to the Department of Justice. FOX 10 reported that Leslie is being held in segregation and that his defense filed a motion to continue the trial, citing budget concerns after its expert exhausted available hours.
Federal Charges in the Case
The indictment brings federal charges against Leslie for alleged crimes in Indian Country. FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke has asked victims or anyone with knowledge of additional victims to report information to the FBI.
A hearing is scheduled for Friday to discuss rescheduling the trial, which currently sits on the calendar for April 2027, per the station's report. This is not the first time federal prosecutors have targeted a member of the White Mountain Apache police force: in March 2024, another ex-officer faced federal charges for allegedly obstructing justice and covering up a fatal incident on State Route 73. All allegations against Leslie remain unproven, and a court filing reportedly raised the possibility of a settlement as the case moves toward its next court date.
