KESHENA, Wi. – Five members of a Native American tribe in Wisconsin have been charged with conspiring to steal more than $400,000 worth of timber from their tribe.

 

Five members of the Menominee Tribe were contracted with the Menominee Tribal Enterprises, which manages the lands of the tribe and runs its sawmill. Those men have been accused of cutting more trees than the contract allowed for, selling the excess lumber to private sawmills.

 

The indictment says the illegal operation took place more than 100 times between January 2012 through September 2018.

 

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Wednesday against Melvin T. Caldwell Jr., 43, Chauncey J. Webster Jr., 49, and Derrin B. Webster, 30, all of Neopit; Arthur P. “Herman” Fish, 49, of Keshena; and Dugan R. Webster, 41, of Shawano, reported the Green Bay Press Gazette.