Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians Issues Statement on OBIG Lawsuit

COARSEGOLD, Calif., March 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Osceola Blackwood Ivory Gaming (OBIG) filed a complaint against the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians and the Chukchansi Economic Development Authority in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. While it is the Tribe's policy to not comment on pending litigation, the Tribe is confident this complaint has no merit and will be denied by the Court.

Since resolving the internal Tribal dispute at Chukchansi, numerous companies and individuals have surfaced claiming that they are owed money from the Tribe through previous actions by a different Council. Many of these claims are attempts by unscrupulous companies and individuals trying to cash in on the Tribe's current success. The Tribal government and our lawyers carefully review the legitimacy of each of these claims in order to determine whether they are an actual debt of the Tribe. After our lawyers reviewed the OBIG complaint, it is the Tribe's view that OBIG's lawsuit falls into the illegitimate category of claims against the Tribe. 

OBIG was a vendor of the Casino, but they were well compensated for their services. Their lawsuit makes it clear that NOW OBIG wants more money than it was owed and paid; but we are a Tribal government, not an ATM.

This lawsuit is just another one in a series of unfounded and baseless demands made by OBIG and others to attempt to extort money from our Tribe. We will fight it through the courts and we will win.

Any questions regarding this lawsuit should be directed to the Tribe's attorney, John M. Peebles of Fredericks Peebles & Morgan LLP in Sacramento, California.

SOURCE Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians