Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe suspends gaming official after arrest

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Philip-Earl Cash. Photo from Yarmouth Police Department / Facebook

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The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts suspended one of its gaming commissioners without pay following an arrest on drug charges.

The tribe said a background check on Philip-Earl Cash, 30, didn't turn any problems. But he's now facing charges of heroin possession.

"We were shocked and saddened to hear of these allegations," the tribe said in a statement quoted in the Massachusetts media. "Each Gaming Commission member is subjected to a thorough background check and is well aware there is a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to allegations of substance abuse. The individual arrested has a spotless record, no criminal history to the best of our knowledge. However, given the serious nature of the allegations, the Gaming Commission was obliged to suspend him without pay, pending the outcome of the investigation."

Cash, who served as the executive assistant on the gaming commission, was pulled over during a routine traffic stop on Monday. Police found about a half-gram of of heroin on his body, the Yarmouth Police Department said in a press release. A passenger in the car also had a small amount of heroin, police said.

The arrest comes as the tribe moves forward with the $500 million First Light Resort and Casino in the city of Taunton. The Bureau of Indian Affairs last Friday approved the land-into-trust application for the project last month.

Get the Story:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Gaming Official Arrested on Heroin Charges (CapeCod.Com 10/7)
Yarmouth traffic stop results in heroin possession charges (The Cape Cod Times 10/7)
YPD: Two pulled over for expired sticker, arrested for heroin possession (Cape Cod Today 10/6)
‘We Have a Deal!’ BIA Approves Mashpee Wampanoag Casino (Indian Country Today 10/7)
BIA Blazes Bold Path In Mashpee Casino Site Ruling (Law360 10/6)

Relevant Documents:
Chairman Cedric Cromwell Announcement | Mashpee Wampanoag Trbe Press Release | Bureau of Indian Affairs Press Release | Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn Letter to Chairman Cedric Cromwell | Record of Decision | Attachment I - Legal Descriptions | Attachment II - Maps | Attachment III - Mitigation Monitoring and Enforcement Plan | Attachment IV - Response to Comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement

Federal Register Notices:
Land Acquisitions; Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (September 25, 2015)
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer of Property and Subsequent Development of a Resort/Hotel and Ancillary Facilities in the City of Taunton, MA and Tribal Government Facilities in the Town of Mashpee, MA by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (September 5, 2014)
Land Acquisitions: Appeals of Land Acquisition Decisions (November 13, 2013)

DOI Solicitor Opinion:
M-37029: The Meaning of "Under Federal Jurisdiction" for Purposes of the Indian Reorganization Act (March 12, 2014 Related Stories:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe gaming site officially put in trust (09/25)
BIA treads new Carcieri ground in ruling for Massachusetts tribe (9/23)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe casino ruling stirs shakeup of sorts (9/23)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe faces lawsuit over gaming project (9/22)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe aims to start casino work next year (9/21)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe celebrates land-into-trust decision (9/18)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe seeks building inspector for casino (09/04)