Oklahoma Casino Break-In Exposes Power Struggle in Thlopthlocco Tribal Town

• Casino closure follows alleged break-in and tribal leadership feud
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation, BIA investigate for public safety
• Historic disputes echo in Thlopthlocco Tribal Town turmoil

An attempted break-in at the Golden Pony Casino in Okemah, Okla. last week has left the venue mysteriously locked down until further notice, local indigenous news outlet Mvskoke Media reports.

The modest casino, which is owned by Thlopthlocco Tribal Town (TTT), a federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) tribe with its own sovereign government, closed on November 3, one day after the early-morning-hours break-in. As of Monday, it remained so, according to the casino’s website.

The incident is being investigated by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s (MCN) Lighthorse Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, according to Mvskoke Media. Neither agency has said whether the break-in is connected to an ongoing leadership dispute within the TTT.

Rival Factions Trespass

On October 27, Town King Brent Brown, the tribe’s elected leader, filed a petition order seeking emergency and permanent injunctions and a declaratory judgment against two rival factions.

He alleged these two groups trespassed at government offices, threatened employees and bank staff, and interfered with access to federal websites used by the Tribal Town. Brown also asked the court to confirm which group represents Thlopthlocco’s legitimate governing authority. A temporary restraining order was granted the same day.

The MCN, with our reservation status, we have had allegations lodged at us that there are pockets of lawlessness that happen on our reservation,” Muscogee (Creek) Nation Attorney General Geri Wisner told Mvskoke Media. “I am cognizant of that, and I am dead set against any perception or reality of areas where lawlessness and violence rampantly occurs.”

Wisner added that the MCN was merely interested in maintaining the peace – “making sure people aren’t harmed, making sure property isn’t destroyed, and supporting whatever happens with the governmental functions and decisions of the Thlopthlocco people,” he said.

Power and Profit

Leadership disputes within tribal governments are not unheard of, particularly when questions of authority and control over gaming operations arise.

In October 2014, a power struggle within the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians erupted into violence at the tribe’s casino near Fresno, California.

Authorities said the group claimed it was seeking missing financial records that were overdue for submission to the National Indian Gaming Commission.

A federal judge later ordered the casino to close while the dispute played out in court. It remained shuttered for more than a year, costing the tribe millions in lost revenue.

‘Domestic Terrorism’

In New York State, 2020, members of the Cayuga Nation police department bulldozed several buildings — including a working daycare center, a schoolhouse, and a store — under the orders of leader Clint Halftown. The buildings were on land controlled by a rival faction that did not recognize Halftown’s leadership.

Local officials in Seneca County described the action as “domestic terrorism.”