Cedric Cromwell, the former chair of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe inward Massachusetts, testament start facing felonious allegations of bribery and extortion inwards federal court of law on April 19.
In November 2020, Oliver Cromwell was accused by federal prosecutors of accepting bribes in change for plausive nearly $5 1000000 inwards architectural contracts. Cromwell and then allegedly abused his force as tribal chairman past accepting almost $60,000 inward hard currency and other benefits from co-defendant Jacques Louis David DeQuattro, according to the federal indictment.
“Mr. Ironsides violated the swear he owed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes, and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew Lelling.
Many American Indians face a host of difficult financial and societal issues. They require — and merit — real leadership. But it appears that Cromwell’s antecedency was non to do his people, but to run along his have pockets,” Lelling added.
DeQuattro is accused of providing Ironsides with the payments and perks inward monastic order for his strong — RGB Architects — to win the Mashpee Wampanoag pattern contracts for the tribe’s long-planned $1 billion gambling casino resort. The outlaw acts allegedly occurred betwixt 2014 through and through 2017.
Cromwell and his attorney Tim Flaherty testament lead off making his vindication on April 19 inwards the US District Margaret Court in Boston. The slip has been continually delayed past COVID-19.
If convicted, Oliver Cromwell faces upwards to triad years inward federal prison, I twelvemonth of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.
Casino Controversy
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has spent a decade trying to untroubled its future tense economical prosperity with a cassino resort hotel in Taunton. But the US Interior Department has complicated the tribe’s federal gaming rights regarding its 321 acres of solid ground in Taunton and Mashpee that it acquired inwards 2012.
The Interior Department under the Obama brass agreed to accept the land into federal trust, thus glade the right smart for the federation of tribes and its financier and development partner Genting Group to proceed with the First Light Resort & Casino. But under the Trump administration, the Interior Department said it previously erred inwards taking the land into corporate trust and removed the acreage from the Union soldier Register.
Last December, the Interior Department over again reversed its own position, and ruled under the Biden brass that the bring down is indeed supreme territory. The 2021 ruling, Interior officials say, is final.
The Mashpee people suggestion their origins to the first-class honours degree Thanksgiving, as the tribe the Pilgrims encountered 4 centuries ago.
Cromwell Denies Allegations
Cromwell and DeQuattro maintain that they did not collude to reciprocally do good turned the tribe’s gambling casino ambitions. Cromwell claims the money and gifts, including a Bowflex Revolution rest home gym and a weekend inwards an executive rooms at the Seaport capital of Massachusetts Hotel — both paid for past RGB Architects — were not bribes.
If federal prosecutors are capable to successfully piss their cases and show felonious misconduct, it wouldn’t follow the for the first time clip a former Mashpee Wampanoag chair was found guilty on felon charges.
Cromwell’s predecessor, John Herschel Glenn Jr. Marshall, was found shamed in 2009 of embezzling $400,000 from the tribe. He was sentenced to trinity years in prison.