The chief of the Tonkawa Indian tribe was ousted during a tribal election Monday, three days before he is to appear in Kay County District Court in Newkirk on a drug charge. The tribe operates the Native Lights Casino south of Arkansas City.
Anthony Street, 43, is charged with one count of possession of a controlled, dangerous?substance, according to the Kay County District Attorney’s Office. He was arrested Jan. 12 on suspicion of selling drugs from a Blackwell, Okla., motel room and is to make a court appearance Thursday.
He has been free on $1,000 bond since Blackwell police acted on an anonymous tip that a man was selling narcotics from a room at the Best Western in Blackwell.
Street was also a member of the Kay County Jail Trust Authority until he resigned in May. A petition drive by members of the small tribe forced an election for new tribal members and was originally to be held in February. Don Patterson defeated Street and James Schreen was elected vice chair defeating incumbent Gordon Warrior.
Dawena Pappan was re-elected secretary-treasurer.
