Chukchansi clash continues after Madera court hearing

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Four men accused of a violent takeover at Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino faced a judge and their rivals on Wednesday. Tex McDonald and the three other men pleaded not guilty to a long list of kidnapping and assault charges.

Anger boiled over outside the Madera County Courthouse where one Chukchansi tribal faction accused the other of financial crimes.

"They're all involved in the theft of $49.6 million," one man said. That hostility came from supporters of four men accused of a violent takeover at the casino on October 9.

Only still photos were allowed inside the courtroom as Tex McDonald, Vernon King, Tyrone Bishop and Miguel Ramos entered not guilty pleas for several counts, including kidnapping, false imprisonment, and assault with a firearm.

"It was very frightening because when you have a gun pulled on you and pointed at you, your life is in jeopardy to the ultimate right there. You don't know what these people are going to do," said Reggie Lewis with the Lewis-Ayala faction.

Lewis leads the faction that was targeted when the McDonald faction stormed in with weapons. He was glad the judge increased bail amounts to more than $1 million for all four defendants and nearly $2.5 million for McDonald.

"I think they were very appropriate," said Lewis.

But defense attorneys argue their clients are patriots who should be released immediately. They say the men were acting under tribal law and the guidance of two legal experts.

"They were taking action to try to keep the casino from being closed. They were taking action to get the audit done on time. They were taking action to find out where all the money went," said defense attorney Jeff Reich.

The district attorney's office has filed charges against a total of 15 people for the takeover, and authorities are still searching for several of them. Meanwhile, the casino remains closed under two separate orders, leaving more than 1,000 employees out of work.

Attorneys plan to file a motion to have the bail amounts reviewed on Friday, and the judge will consider their request on Wednesday morning.