The former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell, who was found guilty for bribery and extortion and sentenced to three years in prison, has filed for an appeal.
Cromwell had been sentenced in a U.S. District Court in Boston nearly a month ago. The 57-year-old was convicted on May 5 of two counts of accepting bribes related to the tribe’s construction of the First Light Resort and Casino in Taunton, 38 miles south of Boston. He was also found guilty on three counts of extortion and another count of conspiring to commit extortion.
The case dates back to 2015 when Cromwell accepted a check for $10,000 from David DeQuattro, the owner of RBG Architects. It was part of three bribes paid to Cromwell from DeQuattro in exchange for protection of the Rhode Island company’s $5 million consultancy contract with the $1 billion First Light Casino Project.
Cromwell had set up a company called One Nation Development, which he claimed was an organization to help tribes with economic development. Instead, Cromwell used it as his personal ATM. Other items Cromwell received were a home gym and a three-day stay at a luxury hotel in Boston.
For his part, DeQuattro was found guilty on one count of paying a bribe to an agent of an Indian tribal government. He was sentenced to one year probation under home confinement and electronic monitoring.
While DeQuattro accepted his punishment, Cromwell’s attorney, Timothy Flaherty filed a motion to stay Cromwell’s sentence and grant bail during the appeal process.
Flaherty cited Cromwell had complied with the terms of his pretrial release and that Cromwell wasn’t a danger to society, nor was he a flight risk. Cromwell is also apparently suffering from a medical issue that “have rendered him essentially homebound,” the motion read. The government has opposed the motion.
Cromwell’s legal troubles might just be beginning regardless of how his appeal turns out. He might have to pay restitution to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe for their court costs. He also could have to undergo another trial on four counts of allegedly filing false tax returns.
