Mesa Grande removes tribal chairwoman

By: JO MORELAND - Staff Writer | Monday, April 18, 2005 8:50 PM PDT ∞

MESA GRANDE INDIAN RESERVATION ---- The Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians removed their tribal chairwoman Sunday in a move linked to an investigation into whether federal money given to the tribe has been stolen or misused, officials said Monday.

Tribal officials said that ousted Chairwoman Charlene Siford is not a suspect in the case, but they would not say why she was voted out, other than that it was a result of the continuing investigation.

A Bureau of Indian Affairs official has said that there has been disagreement between Siford and the tribal business council about the probe.

No one has been arrested in the case, and only one former tribal employee is believed to have misappropriated the funds, members of the tribe's business council said Monday in phone interviews.

The business council has been working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the misappropriation case since the loss was discovered about three to four months ago. A bureau official said earlier the loss might be about $30,000.

"We've been talking to the FBI and the Inspector General," said Jim Fletcher, superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Southern California region. "The council has also talked to the FBI."

Sharon Amero, an elected tribal business council member, said the action to remove Siford was taken after the business council filed a grievance and a full vote by the tribe.

There are more than 500 members of the Mesa Grande band, which has a reservation about 30 miles east of Escondido.

Amero said former tribal vice chairman Mike Linton will be acting chairman, possibly until the regular election in December. Siford could not be reached for comment.

Business council members said Monday that they agreed April 6 during a meeting with the Bureau of Indian Affairs not to conduct business with any outside interests for 10 days.

However, the internal day-to-day operations have continued, they said.

Fletcher said last week that the bureau's contract specialists were not able to look at records on April 11 because they were locked up. Amero said a key was available, but the bureau team didn't ask for it.

Council members said another meeting with the bureau about the investigation has been scheduled for April 26.

The financial situation was discovered when the bureau notified the council that the tribe was delinquent in required financial reports for the federal money, tribal officials said.

While working with the bureau to comply with the requirement, they said they learned that a number of the tribe's files, records and documentation were missing, along with the money.

The council is getting bank copies of checks and statements, said business council member Darrell Langley.

"The tribe will be responsible for paying back whatever is missing," Langley said.

Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 740-3524 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.

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