Former Mashpee Wampanoag Chair Charged with Tax Fraud

BOSTON – Former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Cedric Cromwell has received a superseding indictment from a federal grand jury for allegedly filing false tax returns, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Four counts of filing a false tax return have been charged against Cromwell.

The indictment alleges that Cromwell’s tax returns for the 2014 through 2017 tax years failed to report bribery payments that he allegedly received from a partner’s company related to plans to build a Taunton-based casino and resort.

That partner, architecture firm owner David DeQuattro of Warwick, Rhode Island, was indicted alongside Cromwell in November for bribery scheme charges. Those charges included two counts of “accepting or paying bribes” as or to an agent of a tribal government for both Cromwell and DeQuattro, as well as four counts of “extortion under color of official right” for Cromwell specifically.

The newest charges allege that Cromwell failed to report over $175,000 from tax years 2014 through 2017.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in regards to the latest round of indictments, Cromwell also allegedly did not report payments that he received for consulting for a company that offers carbon offsetting services for forests. The office’s report alleges that the former chairman was given the income for the consulting work through an intermediary known as “P-Co.,” and the only authorized signatory on the bank account where the payment was sent was an unnamed “business associate of Cromwell.”

Allegations also state that Cromwell did not report income to his One Nation Development company paid through that intermediary account and another bank account originating from an “investment holding company” based in Las Vegas. The only signatory authorized on the bank account for the investment holding company, according to the allegations, was the CEO of a Vegas-based architecture firm tasked with working on the Taunton casino project.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that these charges could result in up to three years of prison time, a year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine.

The entire statement on the charges can be found on the website for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts by clicking here.

About Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan, a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is one of the newest members of the CapeCod.com NewsCenter team. When not on the beat, you'll probably find him watching Boston sports.



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