- Details
- By Darren Thompson
Cedric Cromwell, the Mashpee Wampanoag former tribal chairman, filed a motion to dismiss multiple charges in U.S. District Court on Jan. 19, 2021. He was indicted in federal court on Nov. 13, 2020 and charged in connection with the bribery scheme involving plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton, Mass.
Cromwell is seeking to dismiss some of the bribery and extortion charges against him. He faces 10 charges in federal court.
Cromwell served as chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag from 2009 until his arrest on Nov. 13, 2020. He was indicted for two counts of accepting or paying bribes as an agent (or to an agent) of an Indian tribal government, one count of conspiring to commit bribery, for concert extortion under color of official right, and one count of conspiring to commit extortion.
“The charges allege that Mr. Cromwell violated the trust he owed to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by committing extortion, accepting bribes and otherwise abusing his position,” said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling in a press release on Nov. 13, 2020.
The indictment alleges that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Gaming Authority — led by Cromwell — contracted with an architecture-and-design company in connection with the tribe's plans to build a resort and casino in Taunton, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The U.S. DOJ Alleges that Cromwell received payments valued at nearly $60,000 from an architecture-and-design company in exchange for nearly $5 million in contracts from the tribe from 2104-2017.
Cromwell denies the charges.
“This legal action is definitely a Trump set up,” Cromwell told Native News Online in an interview.
The Cape Cod-based tribe has faced years of legal setbacks for its planned First Light casino. The tribe gained federal recognition in 2007 and had more than 300 acres placed into federal trust and declared its reservation in 2016 under the Obama administration.
During the Trump administration many Obama-era land designations were challenged, resulting in legal and political setbacks on the $1 billion casino.
Former President Trump previously tried to use his authority against a bi-partisan house bill in 2019 that would affirm Mashpee Wampanoag’s right to 321 acres of land in Massachusetts. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, or H.R. 312, was introduced by Rep. William Keating (D-Mass) and co-sponsored by both Republicans and Democrats. Trump tweeted his opposition on May 8, 2019, calling the bill a “special interest casino bill” and urged Republicans to back out, which led the House to temporarily delete the vote.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe traces its history back to the time when “Pilgrims” arrived on the eastern shores of Cape Cod in 1620. They are the famed tribe that is depicted in today’s classrooms in the teachings of the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621.
The charge of paying a bribe to an agent of an Indian tribal government, or being an agent of an Indian tribal government who accepts a bribe, provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiring to commit bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charges of extortion under color of official right and conspiring to commit extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
$38 Million in Cobell Settlement Funds Are Still Available
Calfornia Gov. Newsom Announces $15 Million in Grants to Support Tribal Economic Development and Job Creation
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher