Members of the Alturas Indian Rancheria, a Northern California tribe with only five registered members, have accused tribal leaders of misusing millions of dollars in federal and state-administered funds. Allegations detailed in court documents, letters, and audits reviewed by The Post suggest that tribal leaders are exploiting the tribe's sovereign status for personal financial gain, while providing no services to its members.
The tribe, located in Modoc County, has received more than $8 million in federal funding since 2013, according to USAspending.gov. Additionally, through the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund Distribution, which allocates funds from larger tribes to smaller ones, the Alturas Indian Rancheria has received over $26 million since 2005, with quarterly payments of $275,000.
Despite these substantial funds, tribal members Phillip and Wendy Del Rosa, along with cousins Jennifer Chrisman and Joe Burrell, and an adopted member named Darren Rose, claim they have been denied tribal services such as healthcare and education for over a decade. Chrisman, who has terminal cancer, stated that she has been forced into debt due to a lack of health insurance, despite a contract that initially guaranteed her benefits.
Chrisman and Wendy Del Rosa allege that Phillip Del Rosa and Darren Rose control the tribe's operations through a business committee and are using tribal entities, including a gas station, casino, concrete company, moving truck company, and a cigarette plant, as their private businesses. They claim that these individuals do not pay taxes, asserting their native status as a reason for tax exemption.
Rose has denied these allegations, stating that the businesses are tribe-owned and that profits are deposited into a tribal account, with both himself and Phillip Del Rosa as signers. He also stated that federal COVID-19 relief funds were reinvested into tribal businesses, such as the fuel stations and casino, rather than distributed among members.
However, past legal proceedings and sworn testimonies raise further questions. In 2015, a California judge found Rose in violation of state tax laws over 51,000 times for selling untaxed cigarettes, resulting in a $765,000 civil penalty. A year prior, Rose's ex-wife testified that he received substantial monthly payments from the tribe, which she believed were used for personal purchases. In 2011, Phillip's wife, Sarah, then the tribe's bookkeeper, submitted a sworn declaration alleging Rose stole tribal money and property, including approximately $340,000 from a tribal account. She also alleged that Rose requested his paychecks be made out to the tribe to avoid income taxes.
Sarah Del Rosa, now married to Phillip, maintains that the businesses are for the tribe's overall betterment and that only employees of the Desert Rose Casino receive benefits like health insurance. This contradicts an employment agreement reviewed by The Post that granted Chrisman, as an "Associate Gaming Commissioner," the same benefits as other casino employees.
A 2013 forensic accounting review, initiated after a Department of Justice grand jury subpoena, identified numerous undocumented transactions and transfers from tribal money flowing through businesses controlled by Rose and Phillip, with insufficient evidence of a legitimate tribal purpose. The report specifically noted a $50,000 payment for a race car engine for Phillip Del Rosa, which auditors found lacked evidence of being a tribal expense.
Members have also pointed to a $4 million property purchased in Hawaii in 2025, listed with the tribe's address as the mailing address. While Phillip Del Rosa acknowledged the vacation home, he stated it was purchased with a bank loan and not tribal funds.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) recognized Phillip Del Rosa, Darren Rose, and Wendy Del Rosa as the tribe's governing body in 2012, initially on an interim basis. However, Rose and Phillip formed the Business Committee, which the BIA recognized, and which continues to oversee all financial and operational decisions. Wendy Del Rosa has repeatedly asked the BIA to withdraw recognition of this committee, citing the lack of provided services.
In June, the BIA issued a cease and desist letter to Phillip and Rose for allegedly operating a gas station, smoke shop, and concrete batch plant on federal trust land without proper authorization. Rose stated they are working with the BIA to finalize a lease agreement.
Members are now calling for the federal government to revoke the tribe's federal recognition, believing it is the only way to prevent further misuse of funds. The Department of the Interior stated that the BIA's ability to intervene in disputes is limited by tribal sovereignty.