MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) — Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced Jan. 13 that the Mobile County Circuit Court has ruled in favor of the state in a case against the MOWA band of Choctaw Native Americans (Choctaw Entertainment Center) in Mount Vernon.
“The Mobile Circuit Court agreed with the state that the MOWA band of Choctaw was operating illegal electronic bingo machines and they must forfeit the 50 machines and a total of $10,090.47 seized from the Choctaw Entertainment Center in Mount Vernon, Alabama,” Strange said.
“The funds seized from the illegal operations at the Choctaw Entertainment Center will be transferred to the general fund of the state of Alabama and the electronic bingo machines will be destroyed as directed by the court,” Strange said.
Assisting in the case for Alabama were assistant attorney general John Kachelman of the Criminal Trials Division, Mobile County district attorney Ashley Rich, and agents of the Mobile Country Sheriff’s Office.
The MOWA Band of the Choctaw of southwest Alabama are not recognized by the federal government as a Native American tribe.