Whiteriver— Federal authorities arrested Karl Eugene Leslie, 42, a former White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer, for crimes relating to aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping. The FBI is seeking additional victims as part of an ongoing investigation into the former White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer.
Karl Eugene Leslie, 42, of Whiteriver, Arizona, is charged in a 15-count indictment, returned Dec. 23, 2025, with Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping (including one count of Kidnapping-Victim Under 18), Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law.
Leslie was arrested in Whiteriver on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is currently in Federal Custody, according to the FBI.
Although Leslie is no longer employed as a law enforcement officer, prosecutors allege Leslie sexually abused the victims while acting in his official capacity as a White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department Police Officer between December 1, 2020, and September 25, 2023. The alleged incidents occurred while he was on duty, according to the FBI, and while working under the color of law and exercising the authority of his position on the Fort Apache Tribal Land.
The indictment alleges that Leslie forcibly raped and kidnapped two victims, including one who was a minor, and that he engaged in sexual acts with a third victim by threatening her and placing her in fear. All three alleged victims are members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation told Mountain Daily Star that they believe there may be additional victims and are urging anyone with information to come forward. Leslie worked for the White Mountain Apache Tribe from April 2007 through June 2024. The FBI believes he primarily targeted females and males between the timeframe of 2019 and June 2024.
Individuals who may have had contact with Leslie or believe they were victimized are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit information through the FBI’s online victim-information portal related to the investigation.
Potential victims of Karl Leslie can click this link to the online victim-information portal to fill out a short form: FBI.GOVÂ
If convicted, Leslie faces potential life sentences on several of the charges. A conviction for Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law all carry a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Kidnapping-Victim Under 18 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years.
Federal officials emphasized that an indictment is a formal accusation and that Leslie is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, including its Pinetop-Lakeside Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra H. Sampson of Flagstaff and Lindsay L. Short of Phoenix.
Editor’s note: Federal authorities did not release a photograph of Karl Leslie in connection with the charges. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
