The former chair of the Mashpee Wampanoags in Cape Cod has been sentenced to three years in prison for “accepting bribes from an architectural firm working with the tribe on a casino project in Taunton,” according to a report from the The Sun Chronicle.
In addition to the prison term, Cedric Cromwell of Attleboro was ordered to pay back close to $210,000.
US Attorney Rachel Rollins released an official statement regarding the sentence and spoke about the ramifications of Cromwell’s actions.
She said: “The Mashpee Wampanoags put their trust in Mr. Cromwell when they elected him to represent them.
“Mr. Cromwell violated and exploited that trust, lining his own pockets through a fraudulent business arrangement with Mr. DeQuattro.”
During the sentencing, Cromwell apologized in court. According to The Sun Chronicle report, Cromwell’s attorneys have “asked for a stay of his sentence and restitution, pending an appeal.”
Rollins went on to comment about the effects of the bribery scheme and told The Sun Chronicle that it “corrupted and stalled the most significant economic development project in the Tribe’s history.”
She concluded her statement by saying: “This restitution judgment rightly addresses the immense harm these men inflicted upon the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation — harm to its reputation through Mr. Cromwell’s corruption; to its economic development through massive project delays and lost resources; and harm to its financial resources through the significant legal fees and expenses generated in their steadfast support and compliance with our investigation.”
The Mashpee Wampanoags is a Massachusetts Native American Tribe.
