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MAY 24, 2001

A freedom of information request by an Albuquerque TV station has resulted in FBI documents which show that Wendell Chino, the outspoken and controversial former chairman of the Mescalero Apache Nation, was under investigation by the FBI for alleged tax fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering when he died in 1998.

The investigation apparently began in December 1995. It ended March 1999, four months after Chino died.

Chino was credited with bringing economic prosperity to the south-central New Mexico tribe. But his governing method, financial dealings, and lavish lifestyle made him a frequent target of critics.

Get the Story:
FBI Suspected Mescalero's Chino of Slot Scam (KOAT-TV in The Albuquerque Journal 5/24)