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EDINBURG
– Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has taken legal
action against three individuals who conceived an
unlawful scheme to sell U.S. citizenship to
non-citizens. The so-called Kaweah Indian Nation Inc.
and the three individuals claimed that non-citizens who
purchased "tribal" memberships would be entitled to U.S.
citizenship and thus circumvent the ordinary
legalization process.
The defendants, the Kaweah Indian Nation Inc., Malcolm L.
Webber of Wichita, Kan., (also known as "Grand Chief
Thunderbird IV"), Ralph B. Tipton of San Antonio, and
Victor Ramirez of Edinburg, grossly exaggerated the
legal effect of membership in their so-called "tribe."
Although denied tribal status by the U.S. Bureau of
Indian Affairs in 1984, the defendants falsely claimed
that the Kaweah Indian Nation Inc. is under
consideration as a federally recognized tribe,
membership to which automatically confers U.S.
citizenship.
"The Office of the Attorney General is committed to strict law
enforcement," said Attorney General Abbott. "With
today's enforcement action, we are cracking down on an
outrageous scheme to sell United States citizenship.
Texans can rest assured we will continue aggressively
enforcing the law."
According to the Attorney General's enforcement action, Webber
promotes himself as Grand Chief Thunderbird IV, titular
head of the Kaweah Indian Nation Inc., while Tipton
claims he serves as the group's ambassador to Texas.
Ramirez holds himself out as a pastor who promotes the
services of the Kaweah Indian Nation Inc. in the Rio
Grande Valley. According to court documents filed by the
Attorney General, the defendants are suspected of
operating both statewide and across the nation.
The three defendants typically solicit pastors in Hispanic
communities, ask them to serve as the organization's
agents and encourage them to recruit new members to the
so-called "tribe." Individuals targeted for recruitment
are typically persons who are not legally authorized to
reside in the United States. Another category of targets
includes those who are authorized to live in the United
States on a conditional basis and for a limited period
of time.
The defendants' sales pitch to prospective members is that a
$400 membership fee entitles them to Social Security
cards, protection from deportation, a "Certificate of
Citizenship" and an identification card that confers the
rights of a sovereign Indian nation. In reality, the
card is legally ineffective and does not alter the
purchaser's immigration status. However, the Kaweah
Indian Nation Inc.'s claims mislead both the purchasers
and others who might be deceived by the false
certificates of citizenship.
The Attorney General seeks injunctions to halt all violations
of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as well as
civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation of the
act. |
