17 October, 2013
In a press release dated October 16, 2013, the MetroWest Anti-Casino Coalition announced that former Mashantucket Pequot Tribal member, Steven Thomas, pleaded
guilty to federal charges of theft after embezzling $700,000 of funds from the tribe. Thomas’ brother, Michael Thomas, was also convicted of embezzlement in January of this year.
“The people of Milford and the MetroWest region deserve to know more about who we are potentially doing business with” said Brian Herr, Chairman of MWACC. “The fact is there is a business link between the Connecticut tribe and the Foxwoods application. Two current members and the
business arm of the Tribal Council are partners in the Foxwoods application. We need to dig further into that relationship given these convictions and history.”
The Coalition is calling on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to hold its legally mandated Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) public hearing on the character and financial suitability of the Foxwoods applicant before the Milford referendum on November 19th.
“I sincerely hope the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will allow the residents of Milford to have the information they need to make informed decisions on a potential future business partner” said Herr. “Given these federal crimes, the MGC should allow the people of Milford to know what their investigation found about the applicant.”
Chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Stephen Crosby in an Associated Press story said he was not familiar with the recent Thomas case.
Reference: September 9, 2013 Qualifier List, as provided by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
