by KYW’s Tony Romeo

Published reports in New England say the chairman of the Indian tribe that holds the license for the Foxwoods casino in Philadelphia is a convicted drug dealer.

A convicted felon cannot get a gaming license in Pennsylvania unless 15 years have passed since the end of the sentence. But the law does not allow convictions that have been expunged from the record to be considered.

“The Day” newspaper in New London, Connecticut reports that the chairman of the tribal council that is a partner in the Philadelphia Foxwoods project was given a six-year sentence for a drug conviction in Rhode Island that expired in 1994. But apparently, his conviction was expunged before the Pennsylvania licensing process.

If the Gaming Control Board was following the law, then state Representative Mike Vereb, a Montgomery County Republican and frequent critic of the board, says the law should be changed:

“ [No] convicted felons, period. They should have nothing to do with the gaming industry in Pennsylvania.”

Vereb says there should be a “zero tolerance” policy.