WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — One of the so-called tribal chiefs of a Kansas group that claims to be an American Indian nation is going to prison for his role in a scheme to defraud immigrants.
Chuck Flynn was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in federal prison.
Prosecutors say the Kaweah Indian Nation sold tribal memberships to immigrants and promised them that the memberships conferred U.S. citizenship. Federal officials don't recognize the tribe as legitimate and even if they did, immigrants could not obtain legal status by joining it.
Flynn pleaded guilty in July to encouraging illegal immigrants to reside in the United States.
His wife, Debra Flynn, will be sentenced Friday. She was the tribe's so-called secretary of state and its chief administrator.