Exclusive | Alturas Indian Rancheria members accuse leaders of misusing millions in federal and state funds

A five-member Northern California tribe has received tens of millions of dollars in federal and state-administered funding despite years of allegations from its own members that tribal leaders are exploiting its sovereign status, according to court documents, letters, and audits reviewed by The Post.The Alturas Indian Rancheria dates back to the early 1900s in Modoc County.By 2005, only five members remained: siblings Phillip and Wendy Del Rosa; their cousins, siblings Jennifer Chrisman and Joe Burrell; and an outsider named Darren Rose, who had been adopted into the tribe.The group has received more than $8 million in federal funding since 2013, according to USAspending.gov, the federal government’s spending database.The Revenue Sharing Trust Fund Distribution, which takes money from the bigger tribes and distributes a percentage to the smaller ones, has given the Alturas Indian Rancheria more than $26 million since 2005 — each quarter it receives $275,000, according to the Gambling Control Commission and a court judgement against Rose in 2015. Factor in a gas station, a casino, a concrete company, a moving truck company, and a cigarette plant that all operate as tribal entities and Alturas Indian Rancheria allegedly brings in millions every month, according to two members who are sounding the alarm. “They’re running these quote unquote tribal businesses under the tribe’s name, but it’s their private businesses,” Wendy Del Rosa said, alleging that both her brother, Phillip, as well as Rose, have said multiple times they don’t pay taxes.

“They’ve told me that for years: We’re natives, we don’t pay taxes.”Rose called the allegations false, saying the businesses are tribe-owned and the profits go into a tribal account.“It goes into a tribal account that the tribe owns and the tribe watches it,” Rose said, adding that “Phillip and I are both signers on it, but no, it’s a tribal account.”Both Del Rosa and Jennifer Chrisman say they...