Man accused of overcharging Pechanga tribe $4 million in insurance premiums
James William Riley, a 46-year-old insurance broker, is also charged with commercial bribery and money laundering.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A man who allegedly overcharged the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians $4 million in insurance premiums, and another who worked for the tribe, were charged with grand theft in indictments unsealed today.
James William Riley, a 46-year-old insurance broker, is also charged with commercial bribery and money laundering.
Ryan Jay Robinson, the 39-year-old former chief financial officer for the Pechanga Resort & Casino and the Tribal Government Center, is also charged with commercial bribery.
The men allegedly committed the crimes in 2006 and 2007, according to Ryan Hightower of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The indictment states that after Hurricane Katrina, Riley overcharged the Pechanga Development Center by more than $4 million in insurance premiums, Hightower said.
The tribe initiated the investigation that resulted in the indictments, according to Mark Macarro, Pechanga tribal chairman.
“We uncovered evidence of fraud and theft against the Pechanga Tribe and immediately launched a detailed internal investigation,” Macarro said in a written statement.
Robinson allegedly accepted more than $100,000 in kickbacks from Riley in exchange for overlooking the alleged theft.
Robinson’s money was allegedly laundered through multiple accounts before being withdrawn as cashier’s checks, Hightower said.
“People may assume that as large amounts of money change hands illegally, the corporations involved and law enforcement might not notice. They’re wrong,” said District Attorney Rod Pacheco in a written statement.
Tags: James William Riley, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, Pechanga Development Center, Pechanga Resort & Casino, riverside county district attorney's office, Ryan Hightower, Ryan Jay Robinson, SWRNN
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Comment by: Original Pechanga Posted: February 5, 2010, 2:51 pm
Congratulations to DA Rod Pacheco for taking so long to indict these men for defrauding Pechanga of $4 million. It might interest the NC Times readers to know that in the four years since the last major disenrollment by Pechanga, the tribe has cheated some of it’s members by $12 MILLION in lost health care. Four years, at the average $13,000 for the Cadillac plan of Pechanga, times 230 adult members… Let’s include those in the unconstitutional moratorium of Pechanga and that number more than doubles
Comment by: Tatanka Posted: February 21, 2010, 12:24 pm
I am praying for the real people of Pechanga. I am also praying for Mr. Riley and Mr. Robinson. For those of you who remain, and at my last count that was not many…enjoy your money. $33,000 a month and nothing to show for it other than trying to get more. Your time is coming my friends. Greed begets greed and you will reap what you sow. It has taken a lot of time for me to see this…but it is now happening.