Avoyelles Today reports that Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Chairman Joey Barbry was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11 on charges of embezzlement from a tribal organization, according to a memo to tribal members and Paragon Casino Resort employees.

The Tribal Council has named Vice-Chairman Marshall Ray Sampson and Secretary-Treasurer Beverly Chapman-Rachal as interim tribal administrator until a permanent selection is made.

In the memo it states that "the Tribal Council is committed to providing the highest level of service to tribal members and associates."

The memo also said the council plans to preserve the "highest level of service to tribal members and associates" and that it considers its "obligation of preserving tribal integrity and fiscal responsibility as our utmost duty."

The memo states that the council's priorities "are to maintain the smooth operation of tribal government."

Here is the full text of the memo:

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana announced today that it has named Vice Chairman Marshall Ray Sampson Sr. and Secretary-Treasurer Beverly Chapman-Rachal as co-administrators on an interim basis to replace Chairman Joey P. Barbry who was removed from his duties as Tribal Administrator after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2017. Barbry will continue to serve as Chairman of the Tribal Council. The indictment alleges that Barbry violated Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1163, for embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization.

Sampson and Chapman-Rachal will serve as co-administrators until a permanent selection is made by the Tribal Council.

Sampson stated that he and Chapman-Rachal will ensure that the Tribal Council holds its obligation of preserving tribal integrity and fiscal responsibility to the tribal members with utmost importance. “Our top priority is maintaining the smooth operation of tribal government in the best interests of our members.”

Sampson is an enrolled member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and has served on the Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Council since 1997. He has more than 21 years of experience in Tribal Government Operations, Gaming, Information Systems, Marketing, and Hospitality Administration. He serves on the Donations Committee of Paragon Casino Resort, Board of Directors for United South Eastern Tribes, Board of Directors for the Avoyelles Port Commission and as Vice Chairman of the Early Childhood Development Corporation. Sampson is a member of Our Lady of Sorrow Catholic Church in Moreauville, Louisiana.

Prior to his service with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, Sampson held positions within the University of Southwestern Louisiana’s Computer Science Department, serving as Computer Operator, Workshop Instructor and Computer Assistant. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, where he majored in Computer Science and minored in Business Administration. He has also taught several college computer science courses and presented courses to high school teachers.

Beverly Chapman-Rachal serves as secretary and treasurer of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. She currently serves as state manager of the SCSEP program in association of the Inter-tribal Council of Louisiana in Marksville, LA. Prior to that role, she served the Paragon Casino Resort as executive administrative assistant, a position she held for more than five years.

Balancing an active lifestyle of work and family, Rachal currently resides in Marksville, La. with her husband Byron Rachal. She has two daughters, Nikki Lemoine and Lauren Abadie and five grandchildren.