Lumbee Tribe said to be focus of housing probe

Tuesday, March 18, 2008  

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is said to be the focus of an investigation into federal housing funds.

Tribal and federal officials would not confirm the existence of the probe. But tribal council members have been told in a memo to contact the tribe's lawyer if they are approached by the FBI.

One former tribal council member told The Fayetteville Observer he was interviewed by the FBI. He said the investigation focuses on the use of the $10 million and $12 million the tribe receives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development every year.

The probe apparently began when tribal member Randy Lewis sent a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina), who supports federal recognition for the Lumbees, raising questions about tribal spending. Dole asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to investigate.

Get the Story:
Lumbees under federal scrutiny (The Fayetteville Observer 3/18)