Tribal Corruption every where right in Yreka
12/8/11, letter by Jennifer Chrisman, member of the Alturas
Indian Rancheria, to KBC News:
"Hello my name is Jennifer Chrisman, I am a member of the
Alturas Indian Rancheria out of Alturas CA. I was brought into
this deal with Darren Rose because my two cousins the Del Rosa's
wanted to do a land deal with Darren. The deal was for him to
give us his allotted land in Yreka that he stated he owned 66%
of. Then we were going to start a medical manufacturing business
on that land. So not knowing to much we all voted him into the
tribe in Oct 2003. But in the following years we learned (my
bother Joe and I) that this was only a game so my cousins did
not have to share in the casino revenue and the RSTF funds also
to have one up vote on Joe and I since we are a majority rules
Tribe. Over the next six years Joe and I never received a dime
and never attended meeting or elections. We were clueless and
left out like dogs on a winter night.
Then in 2007 I started to dig on these 3 after a man I worked
with whose daughter lives in Yreka told me that our Tribe was
trying to build a casino in Yreka and we had purchased a lot of
businesses and heavy equipment. Ok I may be Native but that does
not make me stupid. We can not build a casino on land that is
not in trust and we are not from here Yreka that is. So I found
it all out and started making calls to who ever would listen.
Then Darren Phil and Wendy threatened my brother and I that if I
didn't stop calling writing and emailing people we would be dis-enrolled.
So I had no choice.
Then in January of 2009 a man from the Department of Justice out
of Redding called me while I lived in Colorado. He told me who
he was and why he was calling me. DOJ stated they were
investigating Darren Rose and the Alturas Indian Rancheria for
embezzling money laundering theft and various other things. I
then got a hold of Darren Rose and he told me that I needed to
come out and look for myself what was going on. I got a hold of
my brother then Phil got a hold of both of us and offered us
$50,000 to vote Darren out. Joe and I ended up in Yreka to check
things out.
So here we are trying to figure out what is going on. We learned
that Darren Rose had pretty much stolen that land. Darren Phil
and Wendy had spent over ten million dollars of the Tribe's
money. They were all using the Tribe's accounts to purchase race
cars and trailers, cars, RVs, and heavy equipment. They were
using the Desert Rose Casino in Alturas as their personal bank.
Buying stuff to avoid taxes or to claim it as their own not the
Tribe's. They with the help of the General Manager of the Desert
Rose Casino purchased or got GSA stuff to end up keeping these
items for themselves or selling it off to keep the money. We
found out that all 3 of them had tried to bully the town of
Yreka around all so they could build a casino.
Now in March of 2009 this starts an Inter-Tribal dispute. Darren
blamed Phil it was up to Joe and I to remove to corrupt officers
or one and leave two. So we know that Phil and Wendy being our
blood and remembering the last 6 years we opted to remove two.
So we are being told this whole time that these people will be
brought to justice. So now we are in a federal court battle that
has lasted 3 years and still nothing. And the BIA and IBIA are
just playing games with all the decision letters they put out.
We removed these two they tried to enroll two WHITE people and
nothing happened. We have a constitution to follow and when you
do the BIA tells you they wont recognize what you did.
We now have nothing our RSTF funds are being held since Feb. of
2010 and no 638 grant money. The casino is loaning us money to
pay attorneys and bills on all the businesses. The Corner Club
in Montague was shut down. Phil cried and had our liquor license
pulled. The bar in Tulelake was shut down because we have no
money going into it. Now on November 25, Phil and Darren closed
our construction company in Yreka fired the employee and locked
my personal belongings up and changed the locks. Darren ran
Tribal money through his business accounts but when he had
$333,000 of the Tribes money he loaned us half of that. Then we
got one RSTF check in 2010 and he but that in the Tribes account
then wired it to his own account at YTM then loaned the tribe
$100,000 of the $275,000. Phil and Wendy in 2010 took out of all
the tribes accounts $610,000 deposited it into Wayne Smiths
account then Wayne paid them $15,000 per month. Darren Rose owns
and operates 2 smoke shops not on tribal land and he doesn't pay
taxes to the state or the tribe and the tribe doesn't benefit
from these smoke shops. Darren and Joe are gaming commissioners
for the Tribe and Darren is the only one that gets paid and has
health benefits. The GM at the casino pays for Darren's guns and
child support even if Darren doesn't get paid for being a
commissioner.
Joe and I have just been waiting for these people to be indicted
like the DOJ said has not happened as of today. We held out and
kept Darren Rose a arms length hoping this was going to be over.
We have a 1.4 million dollar bill with Fredrick's Peebles and
Morgan. The tribe and all its businesses owe taxes and are being
sued. Darren signed an alliance agreement with Joe and I to see
this federal court case to the end. Joe and I tried to make a
deal with our family to get Darren out. Darren has two trailers
that his sisters live in and they are members of the Karuk Tribe
those trailers are FEMA trailers we got off GSA. Darren has lied
in more ways then one even in his testimony for his child
support he lied. Phil told one thing against Darren. Oh Darren
had his son Erik Rose relinquish his rights to the Karuk Tribe
to be enrolled into ours and end the end Erik left with nothing
and is tribeless. Darren's agreement to being enrolled and was
to give the 160 acres he stated he owned and we would enroll him
and his four daughters. This was signed in Aug of 2003 and Joe
and I were called to a meeting to vote him into the Tribe in Oct
of 2003.... Something is not right. But the family of Darren's
blames Joe and I so be it.
K here we are at November 25th 2011, I send my husband down to
go load the trailer we have at the construction yard so we can
go to the dunes in Oregon. Here is Phil and Darren changing
locks and locking every thing down. All the Tribes files and
equipment are at Darren Rose's house and in his business yard
YTM. Joe and I were not aware that Darren Phil and Wendy had
made up and we were never notified of a meeting of election nor
were we aware of the new change or the chance to get our
personal stuff.
Where is the justice in any thing. Darren Rose has been Rez
hunting for years, with the Quartz Valley Tribe and the Karuk
Tribe as well. He tried to make a deal for the casino to go in
with both Tribes. Some of those Tribal members have I think part
ownership in that land but aren't doing anything about it.
Darren and his sisters claim its Shasta Indians land and that is
not even a federally recognized Tribe and to what they say is
only them. But I don't know to much about that. Now I hear that
Darren is trying to get back on board with the Karuk Tribe on
the casino deal. That Darren has been distributing tobacco to
the Karuk smoke shop and selling marijuana out of his Yreka
shop. And the best part of it all is what he did to Joe and I.
Oh my god Darren deposits $20,000 cash into a Tribal account
wire transfers it to a company called KitCo to purchase silver
in his own name and the law doesn't look twice.
Darren has aligned with Phil and Wendy again after 3 years of
fighting on mine and Joe's side. They are going to dis-enroll
the two of us. Darren never followed up with his contract to the
Tribe and he left the Tribe in debt. All of this is out of pure
GREED!! You can read the federal case on line it's Alturas
Indian Rancheria vs Salazar or the Interior Department. The DOJ
and the FBI keep stating this case is on Wong's desk we are
done. Then a lady in the FBI office tells me "OH its coming to
an end I'm finishing the loose ends." Joe and I have nothing and
no money they have made it so Joe and I cant get a loan to pay
our rent. They have tried to ban us from the Tribal businesses.
They are passing resolutions and holding meeting with out
notifying Joe and I. Our constitution does not state they can do
this. We have no attorneys but they have Peebles now Les Marston
Kevin Allis and some firm out of Arizona. There is still no
justice for the little people and its like we have no voice in
the matter. So when I read about Tribal corruption and nothing
is being done in other Tribes I wonder what it will take. Wayne
Smith is friends and had favors done for him in the Redding BIA
and the Regional office by Virgil, Ron Jager, Amy D and any one
else that was his buddy. Just be careful
Gaming was brought in for us Natives to be above the poverty
line and now we are still on the poverty welfare deal. Why are
we even a Public Law 280 state so we can be bullied by the law
and they don't have to help us in solving Tribal corruption. But
they sure want to take our money and land. Its apparent that the
federal judge has this in his hands now and Joe and I are
probably screwed as we helped out our Tribe, its businesses and
law enforcement only to get stepped on. but soon Darren Phil
Wendy and Wayne Smith will have millions and never have to share
or be held accountable for what they have done.
I hope that you make other Tribes aware of these people
especially Darren Rose and Wayne Smith. I will send some of the
supporting documents. Its truly sad that this kind of corruption
runs deep and no one cares to stop it. Thanks for reading and if
you need to call me or ask me anything feel free.
Thanks
Jennifer Chrisman"
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