NORTH COUNTRY, N.Y. -- Five men have been indicted on federal charges, alleging that they operated an illegal casino on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation.

Three Feathers Casino opened in the summer of 2011, six miles down the road from the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino. Authorities say they had no state or federal approvals, despite organizers saying they established their own gaming commission that set regulations.

In January of 2012, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Gaming Commission issued a Cease and Desist Order to the Casino, but it wasn't until September that they closed.

Now, following a lengthy federal investigation, these five men have been charged in a federal indictment with conducting an illegal gambling business and unlawfully possessing gambling devices:

• James Gray, 56


• William Jock, 51


• Thomas Square, 57


• Anthony Laughing Sr., 65


• Joseph Hight, 49

A trial has been scheduled for February 11, 2013.