Ex-Tribal Leader Accused of Receiving $177,000 in Bribes for Casino-Related Tasks Confesses in Tax Fraud Trial
In a series of events that have unfolded over the past few years, Cedric Cromwell, the former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation, is set to face sentencing on November 5, 2025, for his conviction in a case involving extortion, bribery, and tax fraud.
The original trial in 2022 resulted in a conviction for Cedric Cromwell on charges related to the First Light Resort and Casino project. Prosecutors alleged that he accepted bribes from firms seeking to work on the casino project in Taunton. The bribes totaled over $277,000, with Cromwell receiving $74,281 from a firm or firms creating and supplying forest carbon offsets, $57,549 from an architecture company, and $45,023 from another architect, among others.
Cromwell initially claimed that the funds he received were not bribes, but were campaign contributions or gifts. However, he pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns between 2014 and 2017, admitting to not reporting over $177,000 in income. He did not report these bribes in his tax returns.
Cromwell allegedly set up a corporate entity for a planned casino project, but used it as a shell company to accept bribes. Each charge of filing a false tax return carries up to three years in prison, and Cromwell faces up to 42 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and more than $270,000 in total restitution, including payments to the IRS and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
Cromwell initially fought the conviction, but failed to get the case heard in the Supreme Court. His sentencing for the four counts of filing a false tax return will take place on November 5.
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In light of the ongoing sentencing proceedings, Cedric Cromwell's trial in 2022 involved charges related to the First Light Resort and Casino project, which can be categorized under casino-and-gambling and general-news. The prosecution accused Cromwell of accepting bribes from firms involved in the casino project, as reported in crime-and-justice news. These bribes totaled over $277,000, with a notable sum coming from a firm specializing in forest carbon offsets.
