Tribal Firefighter Raymond Neal Swayney Pleads Guilty to Arson-for-Pay Scheme

Raymond Neal Swayney, 31, of Cherokee, N.C., has admitted to torching his own people’s land for a paycheck. The tribal firefighter pleaded guilty today in federal court in Asheville to a brazen arson-for-pay scheme that burned more than 420 acres of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) land and wasted over $106,661.98 in federal funds.

Swayney exploited his role as a temporary Administratively Determined (AD) Firefighter hired by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) during active fire emergencies. These positions are paid hourly under a fire code, covering both firefighting and post-fire duties like cleaning trucks and equipment maintenance. But with no guaranteed hours, Swayney and others decided to manufacture their own emergencies.

Court documents confirm Swayney willfully set seven wildland fires between March 5, 2010, and February 25, 2014. Each blaze triggered fire code activation, allowing him and accomplices to clock paid hours fighting flames they had ignited. The fires ravaged tribal timber and natural resources, turning sacred land into a profit center.

He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to set timber afire and to defraud the United States—a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Swayney is currently in custody awaiting sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

The investigation was led by the Department of the Interior, Office of the Inspector General, with critical support from the Cherokee Indian Police Department, Swain County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Authorities called it a betrayal of public trust by someone sworn to protect the community.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Pritchard is prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose emphasized that exploiting federal emergency systems for personal gain will be met with full force of the law—especially when it desecrates tribal lands and endangers lives.