Who are Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento Republic FC’s new owners?

(FOX40.COM) — On Friday, Wilton Rancheria was announced as the new majority owner of Sacramento Republic FC, but who is this new ownership group?

Wilton Rancheria is the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County, regaining the designation in 2009.

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Since 2017, the Rancheria has placed more than 100 acres of land into the federal trust, including land in Sacramento County.

Tribal Chairman Jesus Tarango

Tarango is a Sacramento native and is a Miwok/Nisenan tribal member. He attended Sacramento State where he studied ethnic studies, according to the California Tribal Business Alliance.

He has served as Wilton Rancheria's Chairman since 2020 and is the youngest person to be elected to the position in the tribe's history.

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He first joined Wilton's Tribal Council in 2016 and became a Tribal Council Spokesperson just months after his election. In 2018, he was elected as Vice Chairman.

Tarango's family has a history of political involvement within the tribe. His mother, Elder Mary Tarango, was a part of the campaign to reinstate the tribe's federal recognition in 2009. She was then elected the tribe's first interim chairwoman.

Sky River Casino

The tribe opened the 100,000-square-foot casino along Highway 99 in Elk Grove in August 2022 after receiving approval from the city of Elk Grove in 2021.

"This will be a transformative project that will provide resources to invest in housing, education and healthcare for our more than 800 members, to preserve language and culture and to give back the community for decades to come," Wilton Rancher Tribal Chair Jesus Tarango said in 2021.

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In June 2024, Sky River Casino announced it would be expanding with a resort featuring a hotel, pool, spa and new parking garage.

Community Land Acquisition

In May 2024 , the tribe successfully placed 77 acres of land near the community of Wilton into the federal trust.

The land along Green Road is planned to be used for cultural and ceremonial centers, including an Elder's Center.

The tribe said that the land is part of the original land bought from the Cosumnes Company when the Wilton Rancheria was established in 1928.

The tribe said that it lost the land decades later when the federal government ended federal trust responsibilities for dozens of California tribes.