NEW CASE

[Texas Ranger]

Received a call from an Native American gentleman from the local reservation.  Seems the Church he belongs to contracted a local logger to harvest some drought and storm damaged timber on the land where the preachers resident stands.  Seems an agreement had been signed in November of last year, and payment has yet to be received.

This one could be interesting.  The reservation is Federal Land, and Church property.  Local Sheriff is handling the law end of it, which surprises me, what with Federal Land and all.  If it goes to court, will it be local? Or Federal?

I did the work up and there is not a great deal of money involved, but to me this is a three strike situation.  This one is pro bona, entertainment factor is worth it.

[beenthere]

So is there a crime?
Timber is cut and gone, but no money paid?

[Texas Ranger]

Logging companies have a fiduciary responsibility to maintain records and pay, so, fraud.

[barbender]

Tribal cases get very complicated, there's always to many chie....oh I better stop myself. My Grandmother was a Leech Lake Ojibwe band member, and she was heir to part of some allotment property. It was 7% of an 80 acre parcel. She wanted to get her piece sectioned off so she could build a house there. Well, the tribal surveyor came out and marked it off, I'd stop by the land and check on things occasionally. Well, one time I stopped by and it had all been logged! I called my grandma, and she knew nothing about it. Seems the BIA saw fit to log it, grandma was never notified. Later, they made the payment for the stumpage, but it was divided among all the heirs to the original 80 acre parcel- about 20 people. I think my grandma got about $150. The point of my story is that you don't really know who is in charge when dealing with the tribes.