Column: Mohegan Tribe's ties to convicted criminal

"Kansas casino authorities have some deep vetting to do.

The Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribe, majority partner in the proposed Legends Sun casino in Wyandotte County, has been closely tied to a would-be Wisconsin casino developer who pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance law violations.

The ill-fated Wisconsin casino project is the same one that several years ago spawned disciplinary action and huge fines in Missouri and other jurisdictions against the now-defunct Argosy Gaming Co.

For the sake of Kansas taxpayers, Kansas gaming regulators must err on the side of extreme caution and scrutinize every business relationship of every casino applicant — starting with the Mohegan and Dennis M. Troha.

A former wheeler-dealer in the Wisconsin trucking industry, Troha last year admitted his role in funneling illegal campaign donations to politicians who were in positions to assist his plan to build a tribal casino in Kenosha, Wis.

The casino would have been owned by Wisconsin’s Menominee Tribe and operated by the Mohegan Tribe, which owns and operates Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, one of the largest gambling establishments in the world."

Get the Story:
Rick Alm: Majority partner in proposed Wyandotte County casino has ties to indicted developer (The Kansas City Star 8/19)