A group of armed men who occupied part of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in California last October, leading to the casino being closed, last week plead guilty various charges some felony and some misdemeanor, including their leader Tex McDonald.
McDonald, who is leader of one of several feuding factions that have claimed to have authority to run the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians and the casino, admitted his role in the armed incursion that included illegally imprisoning several employees of the casino.
McDonald plead guilty to one count of felony false imprisonment, which carries a 16-month jail sentence. He has been in jail since October, and so expects to be released in two months under California’s sentencing law that permits felons to be released after serving half of their sentence.
McDonald and another leader of the faction, Vernon King, led a group of 13 former law enforcement and some former military personnel into the casino in search of financial records that the National Indian Gaming Commission had demanded in order to avoid shutting the casino.
They were later arrested by the Madera County Sheriff’ Office.
They claimed that they were acting as legitimate tribal officials on official duty, and that the hired personnel were legal police for the tribe. However, all but one of the 13 pleaded guilty. One person’s case was dismissed.
The current Chukchansi tribal Chairman Reggie Lewis commented, “That’s good that they were willing to man up and you know, say that they did wrong.” He added, “And if anybody should know you can’t go into a casino with guns – even if you work for the tribe, even if you worked for the tribe, even if you’re the police for the tribe. Our own security at the casino were not armed.”
After the raid the federal government and the state of California agreed to close the casino because the safety of guests could not be maintained.
Some of those involved in the raid agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal trespass. Most of the rest of those who participated are expected to accept the lesser charges. Two remain who have no pleaded guilty.
An attorney for some of the defendants commented, “We look at it as a compromise to avoid the time and expense and risk of going to trial. It was really an offer that’s just too good to pass up.”
Madera County District Attorney David Linn commented, “We wanted an admission from them that they had done something wrong and that’s what we obtained.”
Linn was reportedly angered when some of the defendants filed legal claims against the county, claiming that their civil rights had been violated. He said he had been planning on hiring several prosecuting attorneys to proceed with the case if the plea bargains had not been accepted.
Chairman Lewis says that the tribe hopes to reopen the casino before the end of the year. He told 30 Action News, “You know, the state stepped in and they were very concerned about the safety issues and I think we’re addressing those to where when people come back, safety should not be a problem.
Two other cases, against John Cayanne and Vernon King, are proceeding.
