A hearing is scheduled for October 22 in Muscogee (Creek) Nation District Court in Okmulgee, Oklahoma in the case of Bim Stephen Bruner, a candidate for principal chief. Bruner faces four criminal conspiracy charges; three felony complaints that each carry a maximum sentence of three years and a fine of up to $15,000, and a fourth misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to commit license fraud, punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,500.
Bruner was arrested in August 2017 in connection with a raid on Embers Grille, a restaurant and dance hall located on his family’s allotment in Broken Arrow. The National Indian Gaming Commission twice denied a gaming license to the facility, affiliated with the Kialegee Tribal Town. But according to court documents, 100 unlicensed slot machines were operating on the premises at the time of the raid.
The complaint states Bruner and Jeremiah Hobia, the Kialegee Tribal Town’s leader at the time of the raid, conspired to operate unlicensed gaming devices, maintain an unlicensed casino and participate in unlicensed gambling. The Kialegee Tribal Town was to pay Bruner $300,000 in annual rent during the facility’s construction phase, then $600,000 or 1.5 percent of the gross revenue from gaming, whichever was larger. Plans called for the facility to have 800 Class II and Class III slot machines and up to eight poker tables.
Court documents also list Bruner as a director for Red Creek Holdings, a Florida-based limited liability company established to design and build the facility.
Bruner’s attorney Trevor Reynolds said, “Nothing that happened today changes anything. We’ll fight these charges just like we’ve fought the previous charges. I believe they have some detrimental, if not fatal flaws in their pleadings. We will continue to fight to exonerate Mr. Bruner.”
An additional nongaming-related criminal complaint against Bruner, a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of the tribe’s seal on campaign material, also will be heard on October 22.
In a written statement, Bruner said, “The attorney general’s office is trying to take my Indian allotted land. That’s what this is all about. But I wouldn’t back down then, and I’ve been fighting back against them ever since. They’re now afraid that when I’m elected chief, I’m going to clean up their corruption.”
Bruner came in second in the tribe’s September 21 primary election, which has since been disqualified due to questionable ballot security practices. A new election will be held November 2. The tribe’s election code bars felons from serving as principal chief.
