Former Mashpee Wampanoag Leader Gets 42 Months for Extortion, Tax Fraud

BOSTON (WBSM) — The former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and former president of the Tribe’s Gaming Authority has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for extortion in connection with the First Light Resort and Casino, and for failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars on his federal income tax returns, most of which was related to the casino project.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts, Cedric Cromwell, 60, of Attleboro was sentenced on November 5 to the 42-month prison sentence followed by one year of supervised release. He must also pay restitution in the amount of $270,763, and must pay $51,849 in a forfeiture money judgment.

March 2021: Cromwell Indicted on Tax and Extortion Charges

A federal grand jury indicted Cromwell in March 2021 on tax charges and charges that he extorted Robinson Green Beretta Corp. (RGB). The architecture and design firm had been hired to serve as the Gaming Authority’s “owner’s representative” for the First Light Resort and Casino project that the Tribe was building in Taunton.The trial court severed the tax counts from the extortion counts, which went to trial in Spring 2022.

May 2022: Cromwell Convicted of Extortion

On May 5, 2022, a federal jury convicted Cromwell of three counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. He had extorted RGB into paying him $50,000 in 2014-15, giving him a $1,700 Bowflex Revolution home gym in 2016, and paying for a weekend stay at an upscale Boston hotel in 2017.

READ MORE: Cedric Cromwell Convicted on Bribery and Extortion Charges

“The trial court dismissed the jury’s convictions, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated them on Sept. 27, 2024,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Cromwell filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court but the Court declined to hear his appeal.”

July 2025: Cromwell Pleaded Guilty to Tax Charges

The tax charges went before the court in July 2025, and Cromwell pleaded guilty to four counts of filing a false tax return. He admitted that he failed to report more than $177,000 in income on his federal income tax returns for 2014 to 2017. His unreported income included $57,549 that he extorted from RGB, $45,023 that he received from the architect on the casino project, and $74,821 that he received from a company that sold forest carbon offsets.