NC: Coharie Leaders intimidate Special needs child of whistleblower

Tribal Council Using Fear Tactics

September 18, 2013

by Randy Davis



Clinton, NC September 17, 2013
Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc. (CITCI) Board Secretary Vinnie Bryant and CITCI Chief Gene Jacobs, a convicted felon and former federal inmate have reacted to a recent Watchdog Wire article exposing the charity’s government grant fraud. The two men accosted the special needs child of the single mom they believe to be the whistleblower exposing their crime.
The CITCI board members at the prompting of Gene Jacobs planned a “closed session” to discuss a phone call from a “concerned citizen” to Mr. Jacobs regarding a board member. This use of anonymous “concerned citizens” and “closed sessions” is the status quo for the CITCI and the Coharie People Board Inc. members. This maneuver allows the organization to continue the fraud while keeping the public in the dark.
Following the conclusion of the regularly scheduled meeting of which she is a board member, the single mom burst into tears upon hearing the story being relayed by her child of what had happened without her knowledge. She then abruptly left the building before this “closed session” began which she feels was designed to intimidate her as a whistleblower.
Below is the email sent to the CITCI and Coharie People Board Inc 501 (c) 3 board members responsible for the act. The letter was written by friends of the single mother as she was emotionally distraught due to the intimidation tactics of Bryant and Jacobs.
To : flintstones@intrstar.net; fsimmons@sampsonnc.com; vinnie@jinc.com; goodman_andrea@hotmail.com; nbrew@intrstar.net; Phillip.Strickland@chartercom.com; gjacobs@intrstar.net; pjmaynor@intrstar.net
Cc : jacobs@intrstar.net
Subject : FW: Coharie People Meeting
Mr. Chairman:
While I was inside the auditorium preparing for tonight’s Coharie People Inc Board Meeting, CITCI Chief Gene Jacobs, as well as yourself, Coharie People Inc Board Chairman and CITCI Secretary, stooped to the most repulsive of acts.
Chief Jacobs, as well as yourself, should be role models for our children. Instead you have retaliated against me and maliciously detained, intimidated, terrorized and caused unnecessary harm to my special needs (child).
You grown men secretly went outside where my child was playing and questioned (my child) without my permission or knowledge. The questions you asked my (child) were very personal and intimate and none of your business or concern. This is immoral and illegal. Considering the current state of fraud, abuse and civil rights violations which are now being brought forth by concerned board members, it was ignorant as well.
Making this worse, you demanded of my (child) “don’t lie (child), don’t lie now”. You then followed with the most disturbing statement. “We’re buddies right? We’re buddies right?” and “this is our LITTLE secret ok?” This is sick to demand the truth from my (child) only to ask (my child) to lie about what you did to him!
This act by you as CITCI officials was an obvious attempt to stifle, denigrate and destroy anyone who might come forward with the truth. Your attempts to make an example for other board members, as well as the possible whistleblower revealing the current information, has instead caused damage to an already fragile child and the mother who cares for (that child).
My intentions are to pursue every aspect of Federal, State and Local law in order to exercise the constitutional rights of myself and my (child). Unfortunately this means pursuing every legal remedy available to me and my (child). Any normal mother would behave in the same manner as- a mama bear protecting her cub.
I have given freely of my time, talents and God given gifts. I have volunteered and participated in every event possible. I have given my all for the Coharie Intra Tribal Council Inc and in return the leadership of this charity organization has tried to destroy the one thing of value in my life, my (child).
As a Coharie People Inc board member, I now demand a complete written and signed page of minutes, topics and comments of all subject matter discussed in the closed meeting tonight. I expect this no later than noon tomorrow.
I demand the documents of Katherine Simmons, prepared for me, which were given to Tabatha Brewer weeks ago, known as “the attachments” to Katherine’s response to the questions presented by the GAO audit committee. These were printed for me and are in Greg Jacobs’ office. Please have them ready by noon tomorrow so that I may have those picked up as well.
Vinnie and Gene, you made me cry, you made me break down, you made me feel embarrassed, humiliated, fearful and ashamed because of your actions. This was uncalled for.
Thank you,
(Redacted)
Coharie People Inc. Board Member
The CITCI is not comfortable with the truth being shared in the press. This organization has been protected by officials in the Sampson County Magistrates’ office, NC Senators, NC Commission Of Indian Affairs and possibly the NC Governor’s office as of this month.

Yesterday, Jarrod Lowery, Outreach Liaison to Governor Pat McCrory, sent an email replying to the whistleblower’s concern for her own safety. In a separate email to me, Lowery carbon copied Greg Richardson, Executive Director, NC Department of Administration Commission of Indian Affairs regarding the matter. The problem is, Richardson is mentioned in the complaints by the whistleblower.
The act of informing an official possibly involved in the cover up of fraud by the CITCI is concerning to the whistleblower who is exposing the fraud.
This is the second in a series of articles exposing the fraud, abuse and blatant NC Public Records Laws violations [see Coharie Lawsuit] of an organization granted special 501 (c) 3 status as a charity set up to help people like the single mother.

http://watchdogwire.com/northcarolina/2013/09/18/coharie-leaders-intimidate-special-needs-child-of-whistleblower/