April 29, 2011

Pembina wannabe charged with fraud

Man duped in tribal scam

By Marcos OrtizA 53-year old man was stopped for speeding and ended up trying to defend his beliefs.

But according to authorities those beliefs are from a bogus group professing to be a Native American Tribe.
And:Along with the questionable license plate, Burns said Cannel had a fake driver’s license.

Cannel claimed to be a member of the Pembina Nation.

The group describes itself as a Native American tribe based in North Dakota.

“Pembina Nation claims to be a sovereign area and claim they don't have to follow the laws of the state,” said Lt. Burns.
And:The Pembina Nation website appears to be legitimate. There's a long history of the tribe and authorities said anyone can join.

"It appears you can be a member for $150 dollars," said Lt. Burns.

But the website also lists a warning about scams artists using the tribe's name. It advises that anyone who is approached for membership should contact law enforcement.

“No they're not (legitimate)," said Lt. Burns. “They're not recognized by the federal government."

But according to his son, Cannell does recognize the Pembina Nation because they're anti-government.

“He doesn't pay taxes here,” said Cannell’s son. “He doesn't have to pay taxes because he has his own way of doing stuff.”
Comment:  "Man duped"? You mean man tried to dupe others, I think.

Cannell is apparently one of many conservative anti-government fanatics. Either he stupidly thought he had found a legal loophole--too bad ignorance of the law is no excuse. Or he stupidly broke the law knowing full well that Indians are subject to all federal and state driving laws.

I'm guessing it's the latter. Even idiots who think Indians get free education and don't pay taxes must realize Indians have to obey the law. There'd be a nationwide outcry if millions of Indians were breaking traffic rules and regulations. The lack of such outcry proves there's no free driving pass for Indians.

As for the "Pembina Nation," they aren't serious if they let anyone join for $150. As with Cannell's attempt to dupe the authorities, the word for that is fraud. You can safely add these wannabes to the long list of so-called tribes whom the federal government will never recognize.

For more on the subject, see Anti-Government Extremists Pose as "Indians."

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