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Tribe Raided In Membership Sale Scam

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By ROXANA HEGEMAN, The Associated Press

Published: September 7, 2007

WICHITA, Kan. - The leader of an unrecognized American Indian tribe was arrested Thursday in a raid by federal authorities investigating claims the group sold tribal memberships to immigrants with the promise that joining would provide U.S. citizenship.

Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General raided the Kaweah Indian Nation's two offices and arrested Malcolm L. Webber, known as Grand Chief Thunderbird IV, the U.S. attorney's office and the immigration agency said.

ICE said it is investigating whether Webber, 69, illegally sold tribal memberships to legal and illegal immigrants under the misconception that the documents provided immediate U.S. citizenship. Becoming a member of a tribe gives no protection against deportation, authorities have said.

'Webber has been arrested, and we anticipate federal charges will be filed in that case,' said Jim Cross, a U.S. attorney's office spokesman.

Webber is not an American Indian and the Kaweah Indian Nation is not a legitimate tribe, he said. The search warrants were for anything related to tribal member sales, he said.

The Kaweah Indian Nation was denied federal recognition in 1984. Its suspected pitch to immigrants became public when the Nebraska Mexican-American Commission posted a warning on its Web site. The commission said churchgoers in several Nebraska cities said they were approached by tribal representatives.

'I'm just impressed that the arrest took place so quickly,' said Angel Freytez, a commission spokesman. 'Regardless of immigrants' status in the U.S., we cannot allow other people to profit from the drama and tragedy of others.'

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