Deputies of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department this week arrested one of the 15 men accused to making an armed incursion into the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino and taking several security guards prisoner for several hours.
The casino, owned by the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, has been closed by court order of a federal judge and the order of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) for about a month, since the raid.
The judge has followed the request of the California Attorney General that the casino remain closed until the safety of casino workers and the public can be guaranteed.
The man, Eric Domingo Flores Suniga, 30, was arrested and transferred to the custody of the Madera County Sheriff’s Department. Fresno County Private Security employs him.
The Madera County Sheriff’s Department is also charging 14 others in connection with the same incident, including the leader, Tex McDonald, who claims to be the legal chairman of the tribe. Two other factions, including the faction led by Reggie Lewis and Nancy Ayala, dispute his contention.
Those charged include McDonald; another council member, Vernon King; the tribal police chief McDonald appointed, John Olivera; David Lee Dixon; Timothy Tofaute; Shawn Fernandez; Tyrone Mark Twain Bishop; Benjamin James Rhodes; Jim Glasscock; Brian Lec Auchenbach; John David Cayanne; Ronald Jones; David Paul Anderson; and Miguel Ramos.
Of these, Rhodes, owner of a martial arts studio in South Carolina was arrested on charges of false imprisonment and kidnapping by Bluffton police last week and extradited to California.
Coworkers of Rhodes, who has worked as a state trooper and police officer in Virginia and South Carolina, expressed surprise at this arrest. One of his students commented, “I have no doubt whatsoever he was sworn in as a law enforcement agent and was doing what he thought was his duty. I know him to be of the highest character.”
Charges include kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, battery, assault with a firearm, assault with a stun gun, etc. McDonald’s bail was set at $1 million and later raised to $2.4 million, with his associates’ bail set somewhat below that. McDonald has been previously convicted for assault with a deadly weapon and making threats.
McDonald’s group controlled the casino for several months earlier this year. But then in August the Lewis group occupied offices of the casino. On October 9 McDonald’s group entered the casino armed with firearms and stun guns and tried to take over the gaming commission office to reportedly get audit information that the NIGC had demanded.
The NIGC threatened to shut down the casino without certain documents that apparently show some financial disorders with the running of the casino. The McDonald faction claims that it was trying to locate audit records to forward to the NIGC.
Two weeks ago the audits were finally completed and sent to federal officials. The audit disclosed a deficit of $49.6 million in 2013.
