The leader of the the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians says that a raid at one of the tribe's casinos is linked to a gaming firm in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chief Beasley Denson told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that the search warrant executed by the FBI mentions the Mercury Gaming and ts marketing arm, the Titan Agency. But other than that, he said he doesn't know the specifics of last week's raid at the Pearl River Resort.

"It's untimely," Denson told the paper. "A business has to go through difficult situations. We're no different than any other business. We maintain a good operation."

Denson said the tribe pays Mercury and its CEO Doug Pattison more than $2.4 million a year. Part of that includes a $1.3 million to $1.5 million sponsorship for the Atlanta Braves.

Denson confirmed that Mercury's monthly payment recently went from $60,000 to more than $200,000. He said the company is consulting for Bok Homa Casino, the tribe's newest casino that has reported record revenues and has boosted the local economy.

Get the Story:
Choctaw tribe's deals focus of probe (The Jackson Clarion-Ledger 7/20)

Also Today:
Communities benefit from Bok Homa casino (The Hattiesburg American 7/20)

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