Seneca Gaming Corp. has given contracts to companies led by Senecas in name only


Seneca Indians serving as fronts for established construction and supply companies at the Seneca Nation's casinos have attracted the attention of FBI agents.


Seneca Gaming Corp.'s approval of multimillion-dollar contracts to joint venture companies led by Senecas in name only, as detailed by The Buffalo News, also has raised questions among Senecas living on the Cattaraugus and Allegany territories.

And awarding contracts to Seneca tribal leaders and relatives of Seneca officials also appears to violate ethical codes of the Seneca Nation and Seneca Gaming.

Robert Jones, a Seneca dissident who serves as co-chairman of Senecas for Justice and Preservation, said his group has been able to learn details from tribal and gaming officials about casino contracts.

"We want to know how contracts are awarded, and what, if any, is our Seneca law regarding corruption," Jones said.

While the FBI has not launched a formal investigation, the agency confirmed that agents are looking into the practice of Senecas serving as heads of companies over which they have little or no daily control.
"I can't talk about any case in particular," said FBI agent Paul Moskal, the spokesman for the Buffalo FBI office, "but we are aware of allegations that have been made, and where appropriate, we'll follow up on them."
"We'd be interested in hearing all bona fide allegations of impropriety," Moskal added, "so we can make a determination if a full FBI investigation is warranted or not, and ultimately turn the information over to the U.S. attorney's office."

Philip Pantano, a spokesman for Seneca Gaming Corp., said of the preference law, "This is a [Seneca] Nation law that we need to comply with and did so based on information that we received."

The News reported last week that among the Seneca joint venture companies getting contracts at both the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel and the Seneca Allegany Casino are several companies owned by Marie Williams.

Williams is the common-law wife of Scott Snyder, the son of Barry E. Snyder Sr., president of both the Seneca Nation and Seneca Gaming. And Scott Snyder and Williams have a daughter who is Barry Snyder's granddaughter.
The Seneca Gaming Corp.'s 16-page code of ethics warns its employees and officials against doing business with, among others, in-laws, children or life partners.


http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...04/1057626.asp