NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) An attorney for the former Mashantucket Pequot leader convicted of embezzling from the tribe has told a U.S. appeals court that his client was blocked from preventing key evidence at trial.

Michael Thomas, a former chairman of the tribe that owns the Foxwoods Resort Casino, began serving an 18-month prison sentence in January.

The Day of New London reports that a defense attorney argued Tuesday before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Haven that Thomas was kept from putting on a proper defense by the trial judge's decision to bar certain lines of argument. For instance, Thomas could not argue he had a history of reimbursing personal expenses that he charged to a tribe-issued credit card.

Thomas was convicted last year of running up more than $100,000 in illegal charges.