Casino Crime Roundup: Fentanyl Arrest at Wisconsin Casino

Posted on: December 6, 2023, 11:53h. 

Last updated on: December 9, 2023, 12:25h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 41-year-old man is facing two narcotics charges involving heroin and fentanyl. The fentanyl incident took place at a tribal gaming property in Wisconsin.

Menominee Indian Reservation
Menominee Indian Reservation property, pictured above. A drug arrest took place on the tribal property and at a Wisconsin casino. (Image: Menominee Indian Reservation)

The defendant, Charles A. Parham, known as both “Red” and “Cuzzo,” was indicted last week following the illegal drug activity, which took place on the Menominee Indian Reservation and at a tribal casino on land owned by the Ho-Chunk Nation, according to Gregory J. Haanstad, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

If convicted on the fentanyl charge, Parham faces as much as 40 years in prison. He could pay up to $5M in fines for the alleged deal at the unnamed tribal casino in October, which involved a 40-gram drug mixture containing fentanyl, authorities said.

Parham could also be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison for the heroin charge. He could be forced to pay up to $1M in fines for the alleged heroin deal, which took place in September on the reservation. He could also be placed on supervised release after leaving prison.

The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury after it weighed evidence. It charges Parham, formerly of Wausau, Wis., with distribution of heroin and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

It’s unclear if Parham was in custody in a federal jail following his arrest. Both drug incidents took place in northeastern Wisconsin.

Parham has yet to enter pleas on the charges.

The case was investigated by the Safe Trails Task Force (STTF) and the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). Both organizations include representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and the FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force, Shawano County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory.

Fake Cash at Casino

Pennsylvania State Police recently seized a fake $100 bill at the Mohegan Pennsylvania Casino.

The phony money was passed at the Plains Township, Pa. gaming property, according to Pennsylvania TV station WBRE. The incident took place last Wednesday.

The money was turned over to the US Secret Service for further investigation.

So far, no one has been arrested for the counterfeit money and it’s unclear if state police have a suspect in the case.