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Read Full BioThe former Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Cedric Cromwell, was given a 42-month prison sentence for tax evasion and extortion on Wednesday.
Cromwell extorted an architecture and design firm that had a contract for the tribe’s First Light Resort and Casino in Taunton, Massachusetts. The tribal leader then failed to report more than $177,000 in income on his federal income tax returns for 2014-2017.
He pleaded guilty to the tax crimes in July this year. The 60-year-old contested the extortion charges and filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, but the Court declined to hear his appeal.
Cromwell’s unreported income included $57,549 that he extorted from the architecture and design firm RGB, owned by David DeQuattro. Both Cromwell and DeQuattro were previously convicted of bribery, but these convictions were reversed on appeal last year.
Cromwell also failed to report $45,023 that he received from the initial architect on the casino project. Finally, he failed to report $74,821 that he received from one or more companies that developed and supplied forest carbon offsets.
Cromwell Extorted Architect for Gifts
According to evidence presented at trial, Cromwell extorted DeQuattro three times:
- November 2015: Received a $10,000 personal check
- August 2016: Received exercise equipment
- May 2017: Received a 3-night stay in a luxury Boston hotel
DeQuattro’s defense argued that he did not intend to bribe Cromwell, but rather made small “tokens of friendship or goodwill,” common in business contexts.
They emphasized that RGB’s contract had already been awarded and extended before any of the alleged gifts, so there was no quid pro quo exchange. The tribe selected RGB as the firm to work on the project in 2014. The agreement included monthly retainer payments totaling approximately $5 million over the project’s life.
Text messages showed that the ideas for the gifts came from Cromwell, rather than DeQuattro. In 2016, he asked DeQuattro for a piece of exercise equipment. In turn, DeQuattro and his business partner bought a used Bowflex on Craigslist for $1,700 and had it delivered to Cromwell’s home. Cromwell told DeQuattro he was disappointed that the equipment was second-hand.
Evidence also showed that DeQuattro had disclosed the payments within his company and to auditors, undercutting the government’s theory of secret corruption.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also been accused of accepting donations from tribes in return for favors. Newsom allegedly requested payments from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) before joining the tribe’s efforts to block a Koi Nation casino from opening just 15 miles from theirs.
Tribal Leader Wanted Luxury Hotel for Birthday
A press release from the Department of Justice further revealed that in May 2017, Cromwell urged DeQuattro to pay for a hotel stay on his birthday.
Cromwell wrote, “Hello Dave. I hope all is well. My Birthday is coming up this Friday May 19th and I wanted to spend Friday through Monday at a very nice hotel in Boston for my Birthday weekend. Is it possible that you can get me a nice hotel room at the Four Seasons or a suite at the Seaport Hotel? I am going to have a special guest with me. Please let me know and Thank You.”
DeQuattro forwarded the text to his business partner, writing, “U can’t think of this stuff…..what is next?” DeQuattro and his business partner begrudgingly paid over $1,800 for Cromwell to stay in an Executive Suite King–Harbor View at the Seaport Boston Hotel for three nights.
DeQuattro’s attorney said the verdict “shows the jury recognized that Mr. DeQuattro was not a briber, but an honest businessman caught up in someone else’s wrongdoing.”
Of Cromwell, FBI agent Joseph R. Bonavolonta said, “Cedric Cromwell abused his elected position and betrayed the trust of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by seeking to monetize his position of power at every turn.”
First Light Fails To See Light of Day
The First Light Resort and Casino has faced long delays and setbacks over its development. In addition to the scandal involving Cromwell, construction on the project was halted as a U.S. District Court judge ruled the federal land transfer violated the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. As a result, Genting withdrew from the project.
In December 2021, the Interior Department ruled that the 2015 land transfer into federal trust was valid. However, a lawsuit filed in 2022 has continued to derail plans.
The Welcome Center for the First Light Casino finally opened in January with a small number of slot machines. The construction of the permanent First Light Casino remains dependent on financing and additional approvals.
