As reported by: Houston Chronicle
Two former leaders of the Kickapoo tribe in Eagle Pass were ordered jailed Wednesday to face federal charges of conspiring to embezzle more than $100,000 in casino revenues and health care money.

The funds were used for a failed congressional campaign and personal purchases including ATVs and furniture, the U.S. Attorney's Office claimed in court documents.

Raul Garza Sr., the ousted former chairman of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and Isidro Garza Jr., a nonmember who ran the Lucky Eagle Casino until he was removed as well, have been in federal custody in Del Rio since Monday.

At their initial court appearances there Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Green set a detention hearing for Monday, when the men, who are not related, will answer charges that they skimmed money from the impoverished 500-member tribe.

The tribe's former chairman, known as Makateonenodua, additionally is accused of misapplying money from the federally funded Kickapoo Community Health Services.

The Texas Kickapoos have been recognized by the federal government since 1983 as a sovereign offshoot of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Oklahoma. Their Eagle Pass casino, the only legal gaming house in Texas, apparently has been a huge money-maker for the tribe since 1996, although specific income figures are not disclosed.


Article By: Houston Chronicle