Former tribal chair seeks Supreme Court review of extortion conviction

Cedric Cromwell, the former chair of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that reinstated his extortion convictions. Cromwell argues that federal extortion laws have never been applied to tribal officials and that Congress has not clearly included tribal leaders in the scope of the Hobbs Act.

The convictions stem from allegations that Cromwell solicited gifts, including a $10,000 check and an exercise bike, tied to a $1 billion casino project.