Tuesday, November 3, 2009

UPDATED: Soboba Chairman Salgado Indicted on Tax Evasion and Soliciting Bribes


UPDATE: The chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians has pleaded not guilty to accepting more than $250,000 in bribes from tribal vendors.
Soboba Chairman Robert Salgado entered the plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
Salgado is charged in a 36-count indictment with conspiracy, bribery and filing a false tax return. Prosecutors say Salgado accepted bribes from vendors who had business contracts with the tribe, which is based in Riverside County.

Proving that NO amount of money is enough the chairman of Soboba, who made over $280,000 in 2006 (according the the indictment)AND over $1.1 MILLION from 2001-2006 tax years is indicted for solicitation of bribery.

LATIMES reports Robert Salgado, the long-serving, colorful and often controversial leader of the Soboba Band of LuiseƱo Indians, was arrested by FBI agents Friday on charges that he accepted more than $250,000 in bribes from vendors and hid his income from the Internal Revenue Service.

Salgado, 67, surrendered to authorities after being told that he had been charged in a 36-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.

"The indictment alleges a long-running scheme in which Mr. Salgado lined his pockets with money from companies hoping to do business with the tribe," said Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.

According to the indictment, Salgado took bribes from four vendors. One ran a valet parking service, two had construction projects at the casino and another was involved in real estate purchases for the tribe. The documents allege that he told the vendors that if they wanted to keep their contracts or get new ones with the tribe, they needed to pay him first -- and that sometimes he made them pay his credit cards and personal expenses as well. Vendors were told to make checks payable to R.J. Woods Service, prosecutors said.

This now begs the question: WHEN is the Pechanga indictments DUE?

22 comments:

cideways said...

Same story different tribe. Justice is coming to all those that have brought disrespect to their tribes. Some in the forms of money laundering and bribes, some in the form of tribal dis-enrollment. Who's next? Bring the tribes back to the people stop corrupt leaders from possessing complete control.

Anonymous said...

Indictments for what at Pechanga?

Anonymous said...

blah blah blah!

Anonymous said...

I remember when this guy came to Pechanga diering the fires at sobobs. Mark told us all how this chairman was his mentor when he decided to make a career of tribal politics. It was a very moving introduction. Remember?

Anonymous said...

We know that tribal members who earn money from per capita, and live on the reservation DO NOT pay taxes on their per capita earnings.

Would the BRIBE monies be taxable to the state? Or would their be an exemption for bribery if done on the reservation?

Anonymous said...

why didnt they get the guy from ur tribe that was stealing the employees tips for tax evasion?...did anybody report him to the IRS?....they do give rewards for tips and money recovery!!

Anonymous said...

We believe that the Feds are working on indictments. The "guy" in question was LARRY MIRANDA, son of former tribal chair JENNIE MIRANDA. We believe that there are questions of kickbacks that will have to be answered for in the interest of justice.

Anonymous said...

danger danger hang man coming,you slaughter people in court like pigs,you make fools of the u.s justice system,they will reach out and touch you!

pale rider

Anonymous said...

you talk smack , no tribal members have balls to go against jennie o(thats a turkey right)

pale rider

Anonymous said...

jennie a wanna be gangster (LAWYER)that means taking out people jennie o

CODE OF ETHICS california indian legal aid you (PIG)

Anonymous said...

FAR AWAY IN WASHINGTON LEADERS LET THEM GET THEIR WAY,,UNTIL NOW,

FAR AWAY MAN GETTING TO RICH TO CARE!

HE SEE,S A MAN LAYING BRICK ,THE MAN DIES MAKING AN HONEST LIVING!

THEY ARE TRYING TO TURN THIS INTO WASTE LAND, LOOK OUT!

Anonymous said...

THE ANGEL OPENS HER EYES,THE BABY SAYS F*CK YOUR PER CAPITA,DIRTY ASS FAKE PEOPLE FACE FELONY F*CKIN CHARGES!

F*CK THE U.S GOV THATS WHAT THEY SAY GO BUSH UPHOLD THE LAWS OF THE LANDS ,

I HATE FRICKIN CRIMINALS THAT GO AGAINST U S LAW!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

THE LIGHT IN THE WINDOW IS A CRACK IN THE SHY!

Anonymous said...

CRACK IN THE SKY

'aamokat said...

Well, people say that there couldn't be anything happening at Pechanga regarding indictments but consider that Salgado from Soboba was arrested this week for offenses he alledgedly committed in 2006.

So these things take time and if offenses were committed by Pechanga officials, then indictment will be coming.

Anonymous said...

Pechanga Officials- Do you think yur $$ will get you out of trouble this time? Let's find out!!

Anonymous said...

Cost of building the High Limit Room at Pechanga Casino $14 million! Has anyone here ever seen a $14 million dollar home? Some one laughed all the wast to the bank on that one! Wonder who got payed on that one? Bet you it was a Miranda...

t'eetilawuncha! said...

Even if we know there is evil people out there, we need to hold our tongue on Mr. Salgado.

There may have been evil people who have framed him on this issue. Mr. Salgado has been very ill lately, I wish him a full recovery.

Anonymous said...

Nobody would FRAME Mr. Salgado into CHEATING on his taxes...

It's time for him to go to jail or pony up his tax dollars.

Attention Soboba tax cheats: YOU can AMEND your taxes to include any bribes or mistakes you made in filing....

White Buffalo said...

Indicted tribal chairman placed on leave

Category: Legal, Law Enforcement | State: California
Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/11/indi...
Tuesday, 03 November 2009


The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians placed its chairman, Robert Salgado, on administrative leave Tuesday, a day after he pleaded not guilty to 36 counts of bribery in a Los Angeles courtroom.

The tribal council, meeting in closed session, said Salgado would be on leave until the charges against him are resolved.

The council also said he was not authorized to “conduct business or represent the tribe in any capacity” although he is still chairman. Salgado, 67, was arrested by FBI agents last week on suspicion of accepting more than $250,000 in bribes from vendors doing business with the reservation near San Jacinto.

He was also charged with hiding his income from the Internal Revenue Service.

Anonymous said...

I believe that Mr. Macarro meant that his admiration for Mr. Salgado was that he was able to hold his office for MANY MANY years. There are no limit terms in Pechanga's constitution for the Chair nor any other office for that matter. Why do you think that America's founding fathers found that term limits were necessary to curtail any advancement towards dictatorship?

'aamokat said...

Some people think that because no indictments have happened at Pechanga that it couldn't be possible that indictments are coming for offenses, other than the disenrollments, that may have been committed.

Well consider a famous corruption case that happened back in the 1970s.

In 1973 Vice President of the United States Spiro Agnew resigned his office because of offenses he committed before he was Vice President.

Agnew had accepted bribes while he was an official in the State of Maryland both as governor of that state and also as a top level official in a county government before he was governor.

Agnew became Vice President in President Richard Nixon's administration in 1969 so since the case against Agnew was presented in 1973, the investigation concerning his illegal activities had been ongoing for quite some time.

It turns out that the criminal activities cost Agnew the Presidency of the United States because President Nixon ended up resigning from office in 1974.