From the Escanaba Daily Press vie Pechanga:
ESCANABA – Three members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, accused of illegal commercial fishing in Little Bay de Noc in 2009, will appear in tribal court this month, officials said.
Five tribal members and one Delta County man were arrested in early 2009 for allegedly illegally catching and selling walleye from Little Bay de Noc. The tribe has legal jurisdiction over the five tribal members, while Delta County has legal jurisdiction over the non-tribal member.
In March of this year, the tribe announced three of the accused tribal members were cited with approximately 100 civil infractions including illegally setting nets and selling thousands of pounds of walleye for profit.
The fish were allegedly being sold through a tribal commercial fishing operation consisting of two tribal members and a state-licensed wholesaler. Investigation continues regarding these three individuals who have not yet been officially charged.
According to Brenda Browning, a clerk at the tribal court in Sault Ste. Marie, the citations have been issued against the three tribal members accused of illegally poaching and selling walleye. Their pretrial hearings are scheduled in tribal court in mid-May. The court is not releasing their names because the case is in the pretrial phase, Browning explained Friday.
Browning also said these three cases are considered civil matters, which are being handled by Special Prosecutor Monica Lubiarz-Quigley.
When contacted Monday, Lubiarz-Quigley referred the Daily Press to the tribe’s general counselor, Thomas Dorwin. Dorwin did not return a call from the newspaper prior to press time.
The Daily Press also left a message with the tribe’s attorney, Aaron Schlehuber, on Monday.
The tribe’s public relations representative, Michelle Bouscher, was contacted Friday and did not return calls made by the Daily Press.
A message was also left Friday with Joe McCoy, tribal chairman, who did not answer inquiries made by the newspaper.
Delta County Prosecutor Steve Parks, who recently received paperwork on the case, continues to review the case as he considers local charges.
The six men were arrested more than a year ago following an intensive investigation by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE). Officials suspect more than 72,000 pounds of walleye and other fish were illegally taken from the bay and sold during a five-year span in the illegal commercial fishing operation.
According to DNRE spokesperson Mary Detloff, the DNRE no longer has jurisdiction over the five tribal members because of the 2000 Consent Decree between the state, federal government and five tribes in Michigan.
Tribes covered by the agreement have the authority and responsibility to prosecute members who illegally fish within the treaty boundaries.
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