A Brief Look at Crime 04/30 – 5/06

Man accused of killing roommate with roofing stapler

After dramatic testimony, a Miami County judge found probable cause that Donald R. Pepper beat James R. Wolf to death with a roofing stapler April 13 at their West Milton home. Police testified during a preliminary hearing Thursday that they found bloodied clothes and the roof stapler in an attic in the residence at 1177 Debron Road. They also found a life insurance policy on Wolf — naming Pepper as beneficiary — under Pepper’s mattress. A West Milton police officer said that Pepper confessed to the crime, hoped to get the death penalty and that Pepper said things “got out of control” because of his gambling habit. The officer testified Pepper said things got “out of control” and that he had a “gambling habit.” The officer also testified that Pepper said he used a roofing stapler to hit Wolf while wearing gloves because it would be “messy.”

Pigeon racing a multimillion, illegal enterprise

Pigeon racing, long considered a harmless hobby, fosters $15 million a year in illegal gambling nationwide and kills thousands of birds, an animal rights group charged after a 15-month investigation. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will on Monday present to 17 law enforcement agencies — including the FBI and NYPD — hundreds of pages of evidence of what its lawyers say are illegalities in pigeon racing. The group, which has detailed video and audio recordings from its undercover probe, asserts that only 40% of pigeons that are raced survive the ordeal. PETA probed pigeon racing in multiple states and attended races in Oklahoma and Phoenix that were organized by the American Racing Pigeon Union, a national umbrella group that declined comment for this story. “There was just constant gambling going on,” an investigator said, asking — like all PETA’s probers did — to remain anonymous because undercover work continues. “It’s pretty flagrant.”

Poker defendant pleads guilty

One of two men nearing trial in a case that shut down U.S. operations for three Internet poker companies has pleaded guilty to charges in U.S. District Court. Chad Elie pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and operating an illegal gambling business on Monday. He faces between six months to a year in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 3. The plea came as the money processor was scheduled to go to trial on April 9, along with former bank executive John Campos.  On Tuesday, Campos reached a deal to plead to a single misdemeanor charge, Forbes magazine reported on its website, citing three sources familiar with the situation. Both men had had asserted their innocence.  Elie and Campos were the only men headed to trial after others among eleven people charged in the Internet gambling case reached plea agreements or remained fugitives. Prosecutors have sought $3 billion in money laundering penalties and forfeiture after targeting three companies based overseas: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. Full Tilt defended its executives.

68 arrested in cockfighting operation

Sixty-eight people were arrested and $20,000 was seized over the weekend when members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Rural Crimes Task Force broke up a cockfighting operation in Hesperia, officials said Monday. Daniel Urena of La Puente was identified as the event coordinator and owner of the property located in the 14000 block of Summit Valley Road. Investigators also seized a total of 63 fighting roosters from the property. Five of them were being held Monday at the Devore Animal Shelter, according to David Wert, spokesman for San Bernardino County. “Fourteen of the birds were deceased when we arrived at the property,” said Greg Becks, program manager with county Animal Care and Control. “The rest were euthanized. These birds are not able to be rehabilitated.” Authorities also recovered $20,000 in gambling money.

 Man jailed over decade-old fraud

A compulsive gambler has been sentenced for stealing more than $290,000 from WorkCover Queensland more than 10 years ago. Martin Bruce Stoddard, 40, pleaded guilty in the District Court in Brisbane on Thursday to dishonestly inducing Workcover Queensland to deliver money to a co-offender. Stoddard was working as a case manager for the government compensation body between April 2001 and January 2002 when the offence occurred. The court was told he arranged for the co-offender to be paid out for claims. His co-offender kept around $15,000 for himself as payment for funnelling the stolen money back to Stoddard. The court heard that the pair fleeced $294,189 from WorkCover through their scheme. Stoddard received at least $180,000.

Italian Mafia Bosses Indicted Over Illegal Gambling

In a recent indictment, two New York metro mafia bosses have been indicted under numerous charges related to illegal gambling and sports betting, racketeering, violence, collection of unlawful and usurious gambling debts, extortion, and other felonies. Capo di tutti capi (the boss of the bosses), as the Italian mobsters like to call their godfather, is not happy as his two henchmen face trial. As many know, those who dare to speak up against the mafia face punishment. In fact, one additional charge includes witness tampering. Many victims are unlikely to speak up during the trial, worried about having their legs cemented to a bathtub and being thrown off George Washington Bridge into Hudson River. After talking to a Brooklyn gangster, many witnesses lose memory. Some of the desperados, as rumors claim, have gotten themselves into trouble with mafia after being drunk, drugged, and finding themselves at mafia casinos in expectations of getting some subsidized crack and hookers while playing  rigged blackjack where it is not possible to win.

Ex-employee charged in theft of $525,000

Once a trusted staff member, the former business manager for Gesu Parish was criminally charged in U.S. District in Toledo on Wednesday for allegedly stealing more than $525,000 from the parish. Patricia Ann Stanz, 61, of Toledo was charged with one count each of counterfeit securities and fraudulent use of access device. She was employed as the parish business manager from August, 2007, to August, 2011. According to court documents, Ms. Stanz is accused of creating and signing 97 checks totaling about $295,000 that she then cashed from the Gesu Parish checking account. It is further alleged that she fraudulently used a credit card issued to Gesu Parish to obtain $230,757 in cash advances and purchases. Ms. Stanz allegedly used the money for gambling as well as other unauthorized personal expenses, Mr. Collins said. Being the church’s business manager, she would then write checks on the parish account to pay the bills.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 04/23 – 4/29

Ex-Miami cop to plead guilty to stealing from group of fellow black officers

Vernell Reynolds, a Miami native who grew up in one of the city’s poorest areas, was so well regarded as a cop that her fellow black officers elected her as president of their advocacy group in 2005. But five years later, senior members of the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association discovered lots of money missing from the group’s credit union accounts. They confronted Reynolds about thousands of dollars in “unauthorized” debit-card withdrawals, and she gave them “false” information to hide her alleged theft of the funds, according to federal court records. Reynolds had a serious gambling problem, stretching from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Broward County to another Indian gaming venue in California, a joint FBI-Miami police corruption probe found. Accused of embezzling more than $210,000 in fellow officers’ membership dues, Reynolds plans to admit “taking money from the [association’s] credit union accounts and using it for her own purposes,” according to the charges.

Cockfight shooting believed to be sloppy hit  

Frantic calls to emergency responders described a chaotic scene with people frightened, wounded and fleeing in all directions after masked gunmen opened fire on a Texas cockfight near the Mexico border.  Authorities believe the wild shooting that left three dead and eight wounded early Thursday was a sloppy hit on two brothers. Three people were charged with cockfighting and engaging in organized criminal activity Friday just before officials identified the victims, who all had criminal pasts. The brothers believed to be the target of the shooting were among those killed. The gunmen remained at large. The Leandros owned the small ranch. Heriberto Leandro built the corrugated metal pavilion that covered the bleachers and ring. He told investigators he had tried his hand at running the fights but didn’t make money at it so instead rented the facility to Blanco. All three were held on $1 million bonds, each charged with one count of cockfighting and one count of engaging in organized criminal activity. None spoke at the hearing or had an attorney present. Cockfights showcase battles between birds that have been fitted with sharp metal blades or curved spikes on their legs. Spectators gamble on which bird will be victorious in the sometimes hourlong fights that end when one or both of the birds are dead or maimed. The last state to ban cockfighting was Louisiana, in 2008.

Gambling feud’s shootings, stabbing spur crackdown in southwest Yonkers

A gang feud over a gambling debt has led to three shootings and a stabbing since Wednesday, prompting enhanced policing in the city’s southwest. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and police officials announced their plan Saturday at the intersection of Elm and Oak streets in response to four days of violence that they said is related to a dispute over a dice game between gangs on Riverdale Avenue and Cottage Place Gardens, a public housing complex off Warburton Avenue. The police response will include enhanced patrols and more anti-narcotics and anti-gang officers on streets into the early morning hours. Deputy Police Chief William Cave said since Wednesday his department has made one arrest and recovered two handguns.

Murder Details Discussed At Carrero Preliminary Hearing

Edwin Carrero II used a rug and other objects to cover a trap door over the basement where he hid the dead body of Alicia Schmidt before he stole her car, money and went on a gambling spree, he allegedly told police during an interrogation in February. Those and other details were recounted by police who testified at Carrero’s preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Edward C. Kropp Sr. in Lower Pottsgrove Township on Monday. Members of Schmidt’s and Carrero’s families sat on opposite sides of the courtroom and were teary-eyed during the hearing, which included graphic description of Schmidt’s death. Police say Carrero killed Schmidt, then headed to Florida. On the way, he used Schmidt’s father’s bank debit card nearly 30 times, stayed in hotels and went to casinos to gamble and play poker, police said.

Habitual gambler found dead at casino hotel

A habitual gambler, who reportedly lost money during more than 100 visits to a local casino over the past year, was found dead of an apparent suicide at the casino compound, east of Seoul, police said Wednesday.  The 50-year-old man, identified only by his surname of Seo, was found by a maid in a hotel room at Kangwon Land on Tuesday, the police said, and was believed to have hanged himself using electric cords. Kangwon Land, in Jeongseon, Gangwon Province, 214 kilometers from Seoul, is the nation’s only casino open to both locals and foreigners. “It has been confirmed that Seo visited the casino 107 times over the past year,” a police officer said, adding that the deceased, a resident of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, left a note that reads “(I) hate Kangwon Land.” The police suspect Seo took his own life because of stress over his gambling losses, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of his death.

 N.J. can investigate whether defendants in Lucchese crime family case laundered money for legal costs

The state can investigate possible money laundering by more than 20 defendants to pay for legal services after they were indicted on allegations they participated in a $2.2 billion international gambling ring operated by the Lucchese crime family, a Superior Court judge has ruled. Judge Pedro Jimenez, sitting in Trenton, ruled Friday that the state Attorney General’s Office may issue subpoenas to obtain information about defendants’ payments to private attorneys and other transactions because it may provide evidence “relevant” to additional offenses such as money laundering, conspiracy and “other potential crimes.”

The evidence could be presented to a state grand jury in Trenton for a new round of indictments. “We believe they were making very large sums of money off illegal gambling enterprises, and the question is what they did with it,” Aseltine said.  “We are tracing the criminal proceeds to see if they are engaging in money laundering or some other crimes,” he added, pointing out that the attorney general is interested in other expenditures by the defendants, in addition to attorneys’ fees.

US Woman Jailed for Leaving Kids at Home to Play Bingo

Whilst we know that bingo is a fun game, it is there to be enjoyed in a responsible manner. Problem gambling has increased over recent years as online gambling has prevailed, but putting children at risk to go out and gamble brings a new meaning to the concept of irresponsible gambling. Claudia Leon-Vazquez, 29, was sentenced to six months in jailing on Tuesday after pleading guilty to leaving her four young children home alone while she went for a game of bingo. Police claimed the four children – aged, 2, 3, 6 and 7 – were left in an apartment on 21st March. The children were discovered by the Police during a welfare check and they were found alone, dirty and had bites and scratches on them. The 7-year-old girl told detectives that their mother was playing bingo.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 04/16 – 4/22

Texas Cockfight Murder: 3 Shot To Death At La Blanca Ranch, Sheriff Says

Masked gunmen opened fire during an illegal cockfight at a Texas ranch near the border with Mexico early Thursday, leaving three people dead and eight wounded, authorities said. People attending the cockfight ran into the brush when shots rang out shortly after midnight at the rural property near La Blanca, about 15 miles northeast of McAllen. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said officers are hunting for the gunmen.  Detectives and crime scene technicians picked over the site. The ground was littered with beer cans and cups near the low corrugated metal pavilion with wooden bleachers where the cockfights took place. Cockfights showcase battles between birds that have been fitted with sharp metal blades or curved spikes on their legs. Spectators gamble on which bird will be victorious in the sometimes hour-long fights that end when one or both of the birds are dead or maimed. The last state to ban cockfighting was Louisiana, in 1998.

 Father mowed down and killed on Christmas Eve by gambling addict

A gambling addict who mowed down and killed a father-of-three while racing to a casino has been jailed for more than three years. Peter Chen’s car struck pedestrian Ray Tutton with such force that he was tossed through the air like a ‘bin bag’ and landed more than 30metres away. Chen, 40, had been doing up to 60mph in a 30mph zone and was rushing back to a casino, having had to return home to get more money during a night of gambling. Mr Tutton, 46, and his wife Liz, 47, were walking home from a night out at a pub in Poole, Dorset, when the collision happened in the early hours of Christmas Eve last year.

Man who bankrupted Seattle children’s charity faces prison

The former treasurer of a children’s charity who raided the fund to supplement his already ample earnings could face nearly three years in federal prison. Set to be sentenced Monday morning in U.S. District Court, Randall Morrison, 50, admitted to stealing $142,000 from the Ronald McDonald House Holiday Cruise fund. Morrison served as treasurer of the charity, which paid for holiday events for children and families receiving services through Ronald McDonald House; he was not affiliated with the larger charity, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington & Alaska. Morrison’s thefts left the smaller holiday charity crippled and largely unable to continue its mission. “The heartlessness of his acts is indescribable,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Masada told the court. Morrison claims he was driven to steal due to gambling debts he’d accrued while struggling to cope with his wife’s health problems.

 Kan. woman pleads to $470K theft from employer

Prosecutors plan to seek prison time for a Topeka woman who pleaded no contest to stealing more than $470,000 from her former employer. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that 53-year-old Diane Brandenburg is scheduled for sentencing July 6 in Shawnee County District Court. Her lawyer plans to ask for probation. Brandenburg pleaded no contest Monday to three felony counts stemming from her thefts from a North Topeka sheet metal company where she worked as the business manager. Several other counts were dropped, but both sides agreed that Brandenburg will pay $470,000 in restitution. Prosecutors said that from early 2008 to mid-April 2009, Brandenburg wrote hundreds of company checks to herself but entered them in a computer as payments to vendors. She used the money for gambling.

Former head of police sergeants group pleads guilty to looting $1 million

A former head of the Chicago police sergeants’ union pleaded guilty today to looting more than $1 million in union dues to pay for steak dinners, gambling trips to Las Vegas and a second residence in the city’s Sauganash neighborhood.  John Pallohusky, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of theft, a Class 1 felony punishable by anywhere from probation to 15 years in prison, according to Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.  Pallohusky entered his plea “blind,” meaning there is no agreement with prosecutors on his sentence, Simonton said.  Criminal Courts Judge Diane Cannon is scheduled to sentence him on June 1. Pallohusky, who was a 21-year veteran of the force at the time of his 2009 arrest, was accused of writing checks from the Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association to himself and depositing them into his personal accounts. He was also accused of using association credit cards for personal use.

 Hospitality worker admits embezzlement

A former employee of the South Carolina Hospitality Association has admitted she embezzled nearly $500,000 from the group whose director killed himself earlier this year, according to federal court documents. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors signed last month, Rachel Duncan plans to plead guilty next week to federal charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. She faces up to 23 years in prison and $350,000 in fines when she is sentenced. According to prosecutors, the association’s former accounting director took more than $480,000 from the group from 2006 until February of this year, using much of the money for online gambling.

 Newark man charged with stealing $165K by copying checks from Harrah’s casino

Newark man has been indicted on charges he stole $165,000 from Harrah’s Resort and Casino in Atlantic City by making copies of checks and cashing them as well as the originals, the state Attorney General’s Office said today. Terry Dilligard II, 35, allegedly used a color copier or computer scanner to print duplicates of nine checks he received at the casino when he redeemed casino chips, the office said in a news release. The 10-count indictment, handed up Tuesday in Superior Court in Mercer County, charges Dilligard with theft by deception and forgery, the release said. If convicted of the most serious charges, Dilligard faces a maximum 10 years in state prison.

 VFW post’s ex-treasurer pleads not guilty to stealing $300,000 from group

The former treasurer of a Massachusetts Veterans of Foreign Wars post has been released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty to stealing more than $300,000 from the organization. George Robertson was arraigned Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court on charges of larceny and false use of the name of a benevolent organization. Prosecutors say the 65-year-old Robertson stole the money from Lynn Post 507 for his personal use, including gambling. Authorities say the Vietnam-era Navy veteran began to steal from the VFW in November 2010 after the group was forced to sell its headquarters because of financial trouble.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 04/09 – 4/15

Suspect arrested after mutilated body found inside Mississippi casino, authorities say

Mississippi authorities responded early Thursday morning to the Hollywood Casino in Tunica and found an irate white male and mutilated body of a white female inside a hotel room, authorities said. Security at the casino called the Tunica County Sheriff’s Office at 5:52 a.m. reporting screams from a hotel room and when police arrived they were met by a combative man, Bettye Hale, the executive assistant to the sheriff, told FoxNews.com. The suspect, from Collierville, Tenn., was promptly tasered and rushed to nearby Baptist DeSoto Hospital, Hale said. Authorities have not released the names of the victim or the suspect because the families have yet to be informed of the incident. Hale said the couple may have had a history of domestic violence.

 Lawyer in hot water over paralegal’s theft

A Hamilton, Ont., lawyer who worked with former paralegal Shellee Spinks is facing sanction after a Law Society of Upper Canada hearing panel found him guilty of professional misconduct stemming from Spinks’ theft of $893,000 from his trust account. Michael Puskas, according to facts admitted at a hearing on March 30, provided Spinks with pass code information connected to his Teraview account, administrative access, and unsupervised use of an old trust account used for mortgage transactions at his Hamilton law firm between 2002 and 2008. Spinks then used Puskas’ pass code and letterhead and forged his signature to transfer money from the old trust account to her personal bank account to feed an extensive gambling habit without the lawyer’s knowledge.

 Georgia police arrest 18 in illegal gambling raids

Law officers seized more than $100,000 in cash and assets and arrested 18 during illegal gambling raids in Clayton County, Ga. Local authorities said Wednesday that a six-week investigation was launched after they received numerous complaints from businesses concerned about suspicious traffic around eight stores. An undercover officer said calls also were received from relatives saying that loved ones spent money on gambling machines, which are illegal in Georgia. The businesses being investigated had back rooms with gambling machines that would produce vouchers that players could redeem for cash and other items, officials claimed Wednesday.

 Accountant Steals Money to Fund Online Gambling Habit

A British accountant, responsible for keeping the books for a south English town council, has been exposed stealing well over 300,000 GBP ($500,000) from the taxpayers as the latest casino gambling news report. The man has carried out 17 fraudulent transactions to fund his voracious online blackjack playing. The gambler started small, first by stealing in the neighborhood of 2,000 GBP. Soon after his losing black jack strategies led to bigger fraud. At one time, the bookkeeper withdrew as much as 55,000 GBP ($85,000) in a single transaction.

 17 charged in gambling raid on Gunbarrel Road, one man shot

Several well-known Chattanoogans were cited with illegal gambling Thursday night and one man was shot after a raid on Gunbarrel Road, police say. Four suspects were arrested on gambling and drug-related charges, while 13 others were given citations for illegal gambling and released, said Chattanooga police spokesman Officer Nathan Hartwig. The raid took place about 10 p.m. Thursday at ATC Healthcare at 1618 Gunbarrel Road, he said. When the officers entered the building, 32 year-old Clifford Billups ran out the back door and pointed a handgun at the officers, Hartwig said. One of the officers shot Billups, who was taken to Erlanger hospital for a minor injury, he said. Officers conducted a search of the building and vehicles and found gambling paraphernalia, marijuana and pills, Hartwig said. About $26,000 also was seized, he said.

Fraudster must pay $750,000 in compo

A South Coast mother who ripped off more than $1.1 million from her employer has been ordered to pay compensation to her victims. Diane Felkin was sentenced last month to a minimum 2 years’ jail for the fraud, which she claimed was committed to feed her son’s crippling gambling addiction. Yesterday, Judge Paul Conlon formally directed the 61-year-old pay $750,000 compensation to her former employers – the maximum amount available under the court’s jurisdiction. Making the order, Judge Conlon noted Felkin still owed the one-time owners of Batemans Bay Motors around $915,000, despite already repaying them $200,000.

 Employee’s gambling to blame for missing money and suicide

A handwritten letter penned by a prominent hospitality executive before he killed himself blames his organization’s former accountant for transferring the group’s money through her personal checking account to offshore accounts to pay for online gambling. The letter is the last known communication from Sponseller, who was found dead Feb. 28 in a storage room off the underground parking garage of the Lady Street office building where he worked. He had been reported missing 10 days earlier by his family. A handwriting analysis conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division confirmed Sponseller wrote the letter, said Richland County Coroner Gary Watts, who investigated the cause of death.

The letter sheds more light onto a secret federal investigation tied to the association’s missing money, the woman accused of taking it and her relationship with her boss. It is Sponseller’s version of the story, and it accuses Duncan of abusing his trust to spend association money on online casino games that gambling experts say are illegal, addictive and impossible to win. The S.C. Hospitality Association, a trade group that represents the state’s hotels and restaurants, has reported that an audit of its financial records found $480,000 missing between 2009 and 2012. Sponseller was the group’s executive director and lobbyist.

The letter, which was not addressed to anyone, never states any intention of committing suicide, but it makes it clear that Sponseller regarded Duncan’s revelations as a crushing disappointment. “After working so hard to build the association over the past 21½ years, I am ashamed that I let this happen on my watch,” Sponseller wrote.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 04/02 – 4/08

Murder/suicide came after man lost $200,000 at casinos

The 55-year-old man who is believed to have murdered his 50-year-old partner before turning a knife on himself, lost nearly $200,000 in a little more than a day before their bodies were discovered by police in a Richmond, B.C. hotel room more than a year ago. A coroner’s report obtained by The Richmond Review sheds new light on what factors may have precipitated the murder/suicide at the Hampton Inn on Jan. 8, 2011. The report details the investigation into the deaths of Chin Yao Hu and his female companion, Miao Zhen Chen, with whom he frequently gambled at local casinos. According to the report, Hu borrowed $200,000 from a famly member on the afternoon of Jan. 6, promising to repay the money in two days and letting the family member know he was planning to gamble. “That same family member received a call from Mr. Hu around midnight on the 7th of January, advising that he had lost approximately $100,000 of the money he had borrowed,” the report said.

 Gambling addiction leads to 72 fraud charges

A woman who stole more than $200,000 from her employer did it to feed a gambling addiction, police allege. From February 2009 to May 2010, Wendy Colleen James, of Gavin Way, Lake Haven stole a total of $215,042.60 from her employer – Marlborough Medical Service Pty, which trades as Good Health Green Hills.  James, 54, pleaded guilty to 72 charges of obtaining money by deception while working as practice manager for the Maitland doctor surgery. The theft was uncovered by an accountant who was hired by the company director to examine its accounts. During interviews with the investigating officer James admitted guilt and showed remorse for her actions.

‘Hanged suspect had gambling addiction’

THE 50-year old man who killed himself last Tuesday as police were close to arresting him on suspicion of carrying out two armed robberies reportedly left a suicide note to his father confessing his gambling addiction, it emerged yesterday. According to yesterday’s Politis, the man left a note before hanging himself, calling on his father to look after his children. The 50-year-old reportedly told his father that due to his gambling addiction, he had amassed huge debts that he could not pay off. The man is believed to have carried out two armed bank robberies in Nicosia, one at gunpoint, the other with a knife — on December 2 and January 29 – getting away with some €10,500.  He wore sunglasses and a leather jacket during the robberies, making no other effort to cover his face. 

 Local priest sentenced to prison time

A local priest has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a parishioner. The victim put him on a pedestal as high as the ceiling.  But he didn’t deserve to be there.  Michael Angeloni is accused of stealing more than $300,000 from a parishioner and from collection plates. The state argued the punishment must fit the crime-a massive betrayal of community trust.  And that’s why Superior Court Judge Diane Streett sentenced Angeloni to 10 years behind bars, suspended after one year.  Angeloni admits he has a severe gambling addiction and has lost almost everything because of it.  The money he stole from his 86-year-old victim was meant to save his home from a sheriff’s sale, but instead was wasted, gambling at Delaware Park.  

 Former York Symphony Orchestra employee pleads guilty to stealing $200,000

The York Symphony Orchestra’s former office manager pleaded guilty this morning to stealing more than $200,000 from the organization to support her gambling addiction. Phyllis Ann Shoff, 55, pleaded guilty to charges of theft by deception and access-device fraud.  With an audit of the orchestra’s funds under way, York City Police charged Shoff in August with taking roughly $58,000 during a four-year period. Police filed additional charges Dec. 6, citing another almost $150,000 that was taken and stating that the thefts began in 2004. In an interview with Follmer on Aug. 11,  Shoff “admitted that she had stolen money belonging to the YSO, saying only that she had a gambling problem and she didn’t realize the extent of her problem,” according to charging documents.

 Bookmaker Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering

A man accused of running a large-scale, illegal sports betting operation pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in New Haven Monday to one count of money laundering. Federal prosecutors said that, between 2006 and 2009, Paul J. Graziano, 45, of Burlington, ran an extensive illegal gambling business in which other bookmakers, with their own networks of customers, reported to him. Investigators, who are withholding many details of the operation, said Graziano used two Internet betting websites in his operation and paid commissions to bookmakers who worked for him, to cover their losses or to reward them for finding new customers. Between 2006 and 2009, federal authorities said Graziano was responsible for the deposit of 26 checks worth more than $500,000 into accounts he controlled. The money represented payments for gambling losses, prosecutors said.

 Credit union employee stole $250,000

30-year-old Central City woman is suspected of stealing more than $250,000 from a Black Hawk credit union.  Autumn Rene Guillot, who worked for the  Credit Union of the Rockies,   allegedly stole the money a little at a time by taking cash from a vault and altering ledgers, according to a Gilpin  County District Attorney’s Office media release. Guillot was one of two employees at the small branch office. Bank officials became suspicious in November 2011 when an unannounced spot audit uncovered discrepancies in the ledger. Guillot was a regular gambler at Gilpin County casinos, according to an  arrest affidavit, and she lost big —  $73,000 —  in 2011.

 Former Chief Financial Officer of Irvine Technical Firm Arrested Upon Entering the U.S. for Embezzling $16 Million from Employer

A former chief finanancial officer for an Irvine-based company was ordered to be returned to California after being arrested for embezzling approximately $16 million from his employer, announced Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and André Birotte, Jr, the United States Attorney in Los Angeles. The complaint further alleges that Ibrahim telephonically contacted company executives after the fraud was discovered. At that time, Ibrahim acknowledged that he made the unauthorized transfers and that the money was spent on gambling and personal expenses. Ibrahim advised that he was prepared to return a portion of the money if company executives did not report him to law enforcement and did not sue him for the money.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 03/36 – 4/1

Police arrest suspect in killing of 5 in San Francisco home

Police say they have a suspect in custody in the brutal murders of five people found dead in a San Francisco home Friday, KTVU reports. 35-year-old San Francisco resident Binh Thai Luc was arrested and charged with five counts of murder, Police Chief Greg Suhr announced in a press conference Sunday. The five victims, who have not yet been identified by police, were found in various places in the home in what police described as a “very bloody” crime scene that was one of the worst they have ever seen. Suhr said Luc has a criminal record and is believed to have known the victims, though he declined to reveal other details of Luc’s arrest. He said they are also looking into Luc’s possible gang ties, but the murders are not believed to be gang related. Police had previously stated the murders may have been money or gambling related, though they had first suspected murder-suicide.

 Wife convicted of murdering journalist in Vietnam

A court in Vietnam has sentenced a woman to life in prison for killing her journalist husband by setting him on fire as he slept. A court official said Tran Thi Thuy Lieu was convicted of murder in a one-day trial Thursday in southern Long An province. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the media. Newspaper reporter Le Hoang Hung died last January. Suspicion initially fell on people Hung may have targeted in his aggressive investigative reporting. State media reported after the arrest that Lieu had lost money from gambling and her husband refused to sell their house.

 $500,000 stolen from elderly to feed gambling addiction

A prosecutor said he has a box packed with evidence that goes a long way toward incriminating a theft defendant. The documentary evidence, rather than testimony from purported victims, is expected to be the major component in the case against Jennifer Dennison, 43, who was arrested a year ago based on allegations that she stole more than $500,000 from her retired in-laws and lost it all gambling. Dennison’s father-in-law succumbed to cancer last year, and her mother-in-law suffers from advanced dementia. The defense was granted a continuance so Dennison’s attorney could review all of the documents that, according to reports, expose the defendant’s penchant for taking her family’s money and using it to satisfy her gambling addiction. Hernando County sheriff’s detectives said Dennison — during a 21/2-year span that ended in December 2010 — gambled more than $14 million on slot machines at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa.

 Playing slots while your kids wait in the car is not a winning bet  

The allure of the spinning wheel was apparently too much for one Kansas City, Kansas, mother to resist. KCTV Channel 5 reports that Katrina Denise Roades, 31, is accused of leaving her three children — ages 9, 8 and 6 months — in the car while she played slots for about an hour and a half in the Argosy Casino March 3.  A casino security guard allegedly found one of Roades’ children wandering the parking lot. The child then took the casino employee to the car where the other children were found. Roades was then tracked down in the casino (or returned to the car of her own volition, according to other reports).

Roades is believed to have signed up for the “Disassociated Persons List” kept by the Missouri Gaming Commission that consists of “persons who have voluntarily declared that they desire to self-exclude from ALL licensed casinos in the State of Missouri because they are problem gamblers. Entering one’s name on the list has some very real consequences. If you’re discovered in a casino, you’re supposed to be ejected immediately and charged with criminal trespassing. And the chips, tokens or electronic credits you’ve won are forfeited back to the casino. Those penalties are designed to help change the behavior of compulsive gamblers.

 Mom was gambling, left 4-year-old son home alone when house fire broke out

MINNEAPOLIS— Hennepin County authorities say a Minneapolis mother was at a casino when a fire broke out in her home where her 4-year-old son was staying alone. A Minneapolis Star Tribune report says 44-year-old Yeng Moua was charged this week with child endangerment. Prosecutors say Moua left home at midnight in January, leaving four kids ages 4 through 11 at home. The three oldest went to school the next day. Later that day a neighbor heard fire alarms blaring from the home. He knocked on the door and found the boy, sooty and crying. He took the boy home, cleaned him up and called 911. Moua told investigators the boy has a tendency to start fires. She acknowledged she knew he’d be alone when the other kids went to school.

Woman gets 20 years in prison for stealing from Hospice of Missoula

A tearful Sandra Lea Morrison told a judge Tuesday the gambling habit that led her to embezzle more than $171,000 from Hospice of Missoula has cost her “my job, my marriage, my dignity and my family.” Now it’s cost Morrison her freedom. Missoula County District Court Judge Karen Townsend sentenced Morrison, 43, to 20 years in the Montana Women’s Prison, with all but 2 1/2 years suspended. “It takes into account the significant amount of money stolen,” Townsend said in pronouncing sentence. “A certain amount of punishment is appropriate” because of that amount, and because of how long Morrison stole money from her employer. Townsend also ordered Morrison to repay the $171,579 she embezzled from Hospice of Missoula during the four years she worked there as a bookkeeper and office manager.

SportingBet Settles $33 Million Fine With US Justice Department

UK online gaming firm SportingBet had operated in the US between 1998 and 2006, but then pulled out of its online betting market after president George Bush introduced the UIGEA. In September 2010 the company then admitted attempting to disguise payment to US players and subsequently agreed to pay the DoJ an amount equivalent to that earned from SportingBet’s US customers over the eight year period, which was set at $33 million.

Formal colonel sentenced for stealing from vets

Ret. Col. James Burnes stood before a judge taking responsibility for his crimes, saying that he’s ashamed of his actions and the reasons behind it. “About nine years ago I became a compulsive gambler this disease consumed me each day more and more until all I thought about was gambling,” Burnes said. Burnes admitted to taking more than $2 million over the course of four years while he was a resource manager with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.  “What makes the defendant’s actions appalling is the fact that the money embezzled from the Arizona Emergency relief fund were for the benefit of Arizona National Guard soldiers and airmen needing financial assistance,” said Capt. Valentine Castillo, from the Arizona National Guard. The theft drained the program to the point it had to shut down for six months. His co-workers and colleagues asked the judge to hand down the harshest jail sentence possible. His family asked for leniency for a man they say was consumed by an addiction he is now getting help for.

Accomplice get 12 years for role in quadruple killing at Paterson gambling club

A man involved in a 2005 quadruple homicide at an after-hours Paterson gambling club has been sentenced to 12 years in state prison. But 35-year-old Hamid Shabazz of Passaic won’t start serving the term imposed Wednesday until he completes the remaining 12 years an 18-year sentence he’s now serving for an unrelated armed robbery and drug offense. Shabazz admitted entering the club with a ski mask on and with a gun, but said he didn’t expect his co-defendant, David Baylor, to start shooting. The four club patrons were all shot in the head at point-blank range. Baylor was sentenced in 2008 to four consecutive life terms, without the possibility of parole.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 03/19 – 03/25

Tucson robbery, police chase ends in deadly crash

Two men suspected of following a group of women and robbing them in their home are dead after a chase lead to a car crash in the early morning hours on Tuesday, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. Four men approached a group of women late Monday night at Casino del Sol in Tucson. The women left the casino shortly after the encounter because they felt uncomfortable, according to the Sheriff’s Department. When the women arrived home, they realized were followed by the four men in a white Jeep Cherokee. The women were able to get inside of the garage of the house. However, the four men were able to crawl under the garage door, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Filipino Counter-Strike Gambling Leaves One Dead

Police in the Filipino capitol of Manila have arrested a suspect they believe murdered a man following an argument over a game of Counter-Strike. The two men, along with a group of others, were playing the popular Valve shooter in one of the city’s many internet cafes. A 300 peso (roughly $7 USD) bet was placed on the outcome of the match, but when it came time to pay up the losing team began arguing the result. The alleged murderer then followed Eric Cristobal back to his home, where police say Cristobal was stabbed to death. “He [Cristobal] did not start the quarrel. He just got caught up in it. But they all had long been betting on Counter-Strike,” said police investigator Noel Ibanez, following the unnamed assailant’s arrest. There’s no punchline here, boys and girls. A man is dead over a petty dispute and an even more petty amount of money. Sometimes the world is a swirling ball of terrible.

 Pinnacle faces penalty for falling short on riverfront investments  

 

In 2004, Pinnacle Entertainment made a deal with the city to invest $50 million in revitalizing the riverfront area within five years of opening its $507 million Lumière Place casino. A year later, Pinnacle promised a $25 million condo tower on Laclede’s Landing. In 2006, the company announced plans to build stores and additional condos as part of a second phase of Lumière Place, which opened in December 2007.  But the recession hit — and the projects were canceled. Pinnacle now faces a December deadline. Its only investment outside of its casino complex: the $9.8 million Stamping Lofts project. And even though it is getting full credit for the project, its financial investment was just $2 million. If the company does not make, or get credit for, the remaining $37.6 million in real estate investments by the end of the year, the redevelopment agreement requires Pinnacle to pay a $1 million penalty, called an “additional city services fee,” in January 2013.

 

Online Gambling Addict Jailed for £230k Theft

An accounts clerk that stole £236,000 from her employer to fund her online gambling addiction has been sentenced to nearly four years in jail for her fraudulent actions. Kay Fearnley, 55, was jailed for three years and nine months having admitted to stealing the money from Leeds-based Brahm PR. The Crown Court in Leeds was told how offences were committed over a six year period and were not uncovered until she was made redundant from the company. Defending Fearnley, Graham Parkin, claimed: “She was shocked when the total sum was put to her in interview. “She could not believe the total amount. As often happens, she took the first payment with a then addiction to gambling. “She always believed she could win enough money to put the money back.”

Judge jails IT analyst who defrauded employers of $1.5M 

An information technology analyst who defrauded his employer of more than $1.5 million by buying and then reselling computer equipment to support his gambling addiction has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison. Marc J. Morrissette, 43, was working with Golder Associates, a ground engineering and environmental service company, when he used an internal ordering system to purchase $1,516,156 worth of computer equipment from Dell, Insight and the company’s own internal supply kept at their Calgary headquarters over a three-year period from 2006 to 2009. One man said he bought 40 to 60 Panasonic laptop computers from Morrissette. Morrissette was fired from that job and seven months later became the IT manager at the Westin Hotel.

 Kids Left in Car While Mom Gambled, Police Say

Kansas City, Kan. mother faces charges of child endangerment after police say she left her children alone while she was gambling inside a casino. Police say Katrina Denise Roades, 31, left her three children, ages 9, 8 and six months old outside in the parking lot on March 3, while she went to play slots at the Argosy Casino. A security officer found one of the older girls wandering in the parking lot. The girl told the officer her mom’s name and led the officer to the family’s car. That’s when the officer found the other daughter and the infant. Police believe Roades was inside the casino for about an hour and a half from 4:00 p.m. until 6:20 p.m., leaving the kids alone in 40 degree temperatures.

 Two Joplin, Missouri Men Indicted for Internet Gambling

Two Joplin, Mo., men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for operating an illegal gambling operation over the Internet. Springfield, MO – infoZine – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that William Lisle, 57, and Kenneth B. Lovett, 72, both of Joplin, were charged in a 16-count indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo., on Feb. 29, 2012. The indictment was unsealed upon the arrests and initial court appearances of Lisle and Lovett. The federal indictment alleges that Lisle and Lovett utilized the Internet to transmit wagering information, including placing bets on sporting events, as part of their gambling business from Jan. 1, 2003, to Feb. 8, 2011. Lisle is also charged with 15 counts of money laundering. The indictment alleges that Lisle sent money from the gambling operation to Costa Rica by Federal Express in an effort to conceal the proceeds.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 03/12 – 03/18

5 hurt in shootings outside Vegas casino, hospital

LAS VEGAS —    Police fired shots in the parking structure of a Las Vegas resort casino as they interrupted a gang-related gunbattle just hours before the marquee event of a NASCAR race weekend that brought hundreds of thousands of tourists to town, authorities said Monday. Three people were wounded in the gunfire as others dove for cover shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday on the fourth floor of the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino parking structure, police said. One wounded man disappeared while two were taken to University Medical Center, where gunfire in the parking lot about 90 minutes later wounded two more men. Police believe the two shootings are related.

Scranton man sentenced to 6 to 23 months in jail for stealing $100G

A city man was sentenced Wednesday to serve between six and 23 months in Lackawanna County Prison for stealing $100,000 from his former employer to support a gambling addiction. Carl Graziano Jr., 25, was arrested in July on charges of stealing and cashing a $100,000 check from Weitsman’s Recycling Center, a scrap-metal business on North Keyser Avenue, on July 22, authorities had said. At that time, Mr. Graziano had lost more than $50,000 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs casino in Plains Twp. over several weeks, including $46,700 on July 22, a complaint stated. Mr. Walker said that Mr. Graziano in October 2010 sought help at a treatment center for his gambling  addiction. “When he suffered a relapse, he did what gamblers do. It mushroomed so badly,” Mr. Walker said. “He screwed up, and he screwed up in a major fashion.”

 

FBI Probes Auburn Point Shaving:  Guard Varez Ward Implicated

The FBI has begun a probe into possible point shaving at Auburn, specifically suspended point guard Varez Ward.  He is accused of attempted point shaving in at least two games, according to a Yahoo Sports report filed Thursday. The FBI began its investigation in late February centering on losses to Alabama on Feb. 7 and Arkansas on Jan. 25. “The NCAA takes any allegation of point shaving very seriously because sports wagering threatens two of our core principles — the well-being of student-athletes and the very integrity of intercollegiate sport,” the NCAA said in a written statement Thursday. “As allegations of point shaving, if proven, are also potential federal crimes, the NCAA will defer action until any process with the FBI has concluded.”

 Miami police seize gun, make 49 arrests at Liberty Square public housing

An AK-47 assault rifle sat on a Liberty Square porch unattended. While “lost and alone,” it managed to be retrieved by Miami police, and make it “home” safely.  Although the owner of the weapon couldn’t be located and an arrest couldn’t be made, Maj. David Magnusson said he is grateful to have it confiscated from the troubled public housing complex. During the first four days of Operation Perseverance, a sting addressing the gun-related violence in Liberty Square, a 750-unit development of pastel buildings from Northwest 12th to 15th avenues and 62nd to 67th streets, police cleaned house. Undercover cops made 31 narcotics arrests, 14 gambling arrests and 4 prostitution arrests Tuesday through Saturday, according to reports.

 Wimblington woman and former town councillor husband jailed after Luton airport cash theft

A WIMBLINGTON woman who stole £90,000 and used part of it to feed her former town councillor husband’s gambling addiction has been jailed.  Janine Tempest-Reynalds, 31, of Pond Close, stole the cash whilst working at Luton Airport as a supervisor for the handling agents Servisair.  Her theft had gone on for some time, Luton Crown Court was told, but only came to light after she went sick in August 2009.  Judge David Farrell said there was no evidence of a luxurious lifestyle and part of the cash was used to supplement a gambling addiction by her husband. He is thought to have received £30,000 over a three and a half year period. Tempest-Reynalds was jailed for two years after admitting theft and false accounting.

 Armored car vault worker says he gambled away vault money

A vault worker for an Aurora armored car company who is facing theft charges says he gambled away as much as $44,000 after taking money from the vault. Authorities say 23-year-old Shane Marquardt of Lakewood took the money from Loomis Armored in Aurora, where he worked as a vault manager. Marquardt tells KMGH-TV he has a gambling habit and he thought he could win the money back before the company found out the money was missing.

 K&L Gates Strives to Regain Funds Embezzled to Pay Gambling Debt

The Law firm K&L Gates is suing the Hong-Kohn based Melco Crown Entertainment, which owns two casinos in Macau, to reclaim stolen money that was gambled away. Their own corporate partner, Mavin Kumar Aggarwal, 44, who resigned nine months previous to this, is now charged with 6 counts of theft and forgery. K&L is seeking to gain some of the millions that Aggarwal embezzled and gambled away trying to pay off his gambling debts. As Aggarwal wrote in a letter to partner David Tang, after his resignation: Now K&L is requesting a court order to ascertain exactly how much Melco gained from Aggarwal’s embezzlement. They’ve already paid $15 million to four clients, including Hui Kau-mo, Mark Lightbrown, Golden Bridge United Holdings Group, and Laxmi Niwas Jhunjhunwala.

 Former Winthrop employee sentenced on theft charges

An Internet gambling addiction and family responsibilities were leading factors in a former Winthrop University employee’s misuse of more than $200,000 in school money, the man’s lawyer said Wednesday. George Walker, 47, pleaded guilty to two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent in the amount of more than $10,000. Breach of trust is a felony that can carry up to 10 years for each charge, Circuit Court Judge Lee S. Alford said. He sentenced Walker to 10 years in prison, but once he serves two years, he’ll be eligible for parole, which could run consecutively with five years probation.  Walker also must pay restitution to the university.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 03/05 – 03/11

Mexico Ruling Party in Row Over Casino Fire

Last August, President Felipe Calderón, dressed in black, visited the charred remains of a casino where members of a drug cartel set a fire that killed 52 victims, including a pregnant woman. The president vowed that justice would be done. But six months after the fire, relatives of the victims and members of Mr. Calderón’s own National Action Party say his government has engaged in a coverup to try to hide links between casinos and corrupt politicians. This week, the mayor of Monterrey, whose brother was caught on video receiving wads of cash from a local casino, was placed on the party’s special shortlist of candidates for proportional representation to Mexico’s lower house in July’s presidential elections. The move virtually guarantees Fernando Larrazabal a congressional seat, and with it immunity from prosecution. Raúl Gracia, another politician closely linked to Mr. Larrazabal, is also on the party list for the senate.

 Colorado Casino Robber Jailed For 224 Years

An armed robber who stole $28,000 from a casino in Colorado and later shot at a police officer has now been sentenced to 224 years in prison. The incident took place at 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, April, 2010, when the habitual criminal Randy Steven Keesee, 45, used a semi-automatic handgun to rob the Famous Bonanza Casino before making off in a black Audi getaway car. An hour and a half later, Keesee was then tracked down by a police officer to a parking garage at the Golden Gate Casino in Black Hawk. Despite being ordered to stop, Keesee pointed his gun at the officer, which subsequently misfired leading to the officer firing back several rounds and injuring Keesee. Sgt. Kenneth Lloyd was later cleared of any improper action in the shooting.

 Former Millington mayor Richard Hodges indicted on new bribery charges

Already facing two counts of bribery, former Millington Mayor Richard Hodges has been indicted on new bribery charges growing out of the same investigation into alleged gambling and political favors, authorities said Monday. Also named in the new charges is Millington business owner Marlin Roberts, who allegedly hosted ongoing card games and gambling at his business, Transmission Doctors. Roberts, 46, was indicted on two counts of bribery involving Hodges and also on two counts of unlawful drug possession. Hodges is charged with three counts of bribery of a public servant, charges that will replace the two bribery counts lodged against him last fall. He has pleaded not guilty in initial court appearances.

 Bodyguard stole $18.8m worth of diamonds from Sultan of Brunei’s ex-wife, UK court hears

THE Sultan of Brunei’s ex-wife has accused a female bodyguard of stealing £12 million ($18.8 million) worth of rare diamonds from her London home and replacing them with worthless replicas. Mariam Aziz, the former royal consort, claims that her former minder Fatimah Kumin Lim tricked her daughter into loaning her the jewels, which Lim then sold to pay gambling debts. Lim, who is not attending the hearing and says she is unrepresented due to lack of funding, is also accused of taking a £3.5 million diamond bracelet from her employer in 2008 and selling it.

Former Scranton elementary school principal sentenced for stealing money from principals’ fund

A former Scranton elementary school principal was sentenced in Lackawanna County Court for stealing  $87,000 from a principals’ fund to fuel a gambling addiction, according to court papers. Jeffrey McCreary of South Abington Twp. was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in jail, coupled with a period of home confinement, his attorney Gerard Karam said Wednesday.  Mr. McCreary principal at Scranton School District’s McNichols Plaza Elementary until he resigned in 2010. Mr. McCreary, 49, pocketed money that belonged to the Scranton Association of Administrators and Supervisors – a special account for principals, administrators, and other supervisory personnel – through withdrawals from a credit union account from 2004 to 2010, according to Times-Tribune archives.

 Bank manager Colin John Carleton jailed nine years for $3m theft

A NORTH Queensland bank manager has been sentenced to nine years’ jail for stealing $3 million from his customers to feed his gambling and shopping addictions. Colin John Carleton, 56, had pleaded guilty to one charge of stealing as a servant. Carleton made headlines nationwide when he was reported missing in July 2010, and it was later revealed he had stolen from the Atherton Tableland branch of Bendigo Bank, which he managed for 19 years. The father of three was found camping out at Cape Tribulation on July 25, 2010, and confessed to police he had been stealing from customers’ bank accounts for 16 years. The court heard covered his tracks by transferring money between accounts, and intercepting bank statements before creating new ones to be sent out. Carleton used the money to feed his gambling addiction, and also compulsively purchased tools and meat.

 Woman admits embezzling $84,000 from medical center

A 48-year-old former accounts payable coordinator pleaded guilty Tuesday to embezzling $84,186 from Carson Valley Medical Center, and agreed to pay it back as part of a plea agreement. She admitted stealing the money between May 2010 and September 2011 when medical center officials caught on to what she was doing. She was arrested Oct. 3 and accused of writing 49 checks in the name of her husband and depositing them in the bank. Jennings-Evans said she gambled an average  of $2,000 a week playing penny slots at the Topaz Lodge. She said her husband didn’t know about the thefts, but expressed concern about her gambling. She told investigators she would spend an average of nine hours a week at the penny slots betting the maximum of $4 a pull.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 02/27 – 03/04

Former Fla. coach due in court in Vegas death case

A former Florida high school football coach is  due in a Las Vegas court on a reduced involuntary manslaughter charge in  a one-punch slaying of a Utah man after they exchanged words in a Las  Vegas Strip casino. Benjamin Gerard Hawkins of Gainesville, Fla., claims self-defense  in the slaying of 46-year-old John Massie last July 6 at O’Shea’s Las  Vegas Casino. A Las Vegas judge will be asked Tuesday to decide if the  38-year-old Hawkins should stand trial in state court on a felony charge  that could get him probation or up to four years in prison. He was initially charged with murder after admitting he punched Massie, who was from Roy, Utah. Authorities say Massie’s head hit the floor and he died of a head injury.   

3 members of gambling gang held for killing rival

Three members of a local gambling gang were arrested for allegedly gunning down a small-time gambler in northwest Delhi’s Rohini earlier last week, police said on Sunday. Ajay, Vikas, both 24, and Raju, 34, belonged to a gambling group run by one Rinku in west Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar. The three were arrested for killing one Sonu, 28, over a rivalry with members of another gambling ring, BS Jaiswal, DCP (outer) said. “The accused trio had planned to kill Satpal, the leader of the rival gang, but ended up killing Sonu after he tried to alert Satpal. They were arrested on February 25,” Jaiswal added.

 Winery CEO blames tax evasion on gambling

A southern Ontario winery CEO said a gambling addiction drove him to commit tax-evasion, which resulted in him being fined more than $120,000. The Canada Revenue Agency said that Pillitteri Estates Winery executive Charles Pillitteri pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. The agency said he didn’t report $439,102 in taxes in 2004, representing cash “misappropriated from the company and used for his own personal benefit.” The federal income tax on that came to $122,031, the amount of the fine. The agency said it’s since been fully repaid. Reached in Japan Friday night, Pillitteri said the incident stemmed from a gambling addiction he had at the time. “I had some major gambling issues,” he said adding he’s since been to counselling for the problem and hasn’t gambled in four years.

Court documents outline alleged embezzlement from Yurok Tribe; former Yurok Tribe forestry director still wanted on $1 million warrant

Court documents outline how three biologists allegedly used an elaborate system of fake invoices, false purchase requests and electronic bank transfers to embezzle more than $900,000 from the Yurok Tribe during a three-year period.  Officials with the Del Norte County District Attorney’s Office traveled to Eureka on Thursday to execute three $1 million arrest warrants for suspects Sean McAllister, Ron LeValley and Roland Raymond. The men are accused of burglary, embezzlement and conspiracy to commit a crime.  ”There were numerous syringes and suspected heroin found,” Alexander said, adding that the suspected substance has been sent to the state Department of Justice for testing. “Initial police reports indicate Raymond had a substance abuse and gambling problem.”

Carlton prison officer robbed his local bank to pay gambling debts

A PRISON officer has been given a suspended prison sentence after robbing his local bank. He originally owed around £3,000, but this rose to £14,000  due to high interest loans, the court was told.  Goodson hadn’t told his partner or family about his debt. After entering the bank, he handed a note to the cashier, which read: “Stay calm, I am armed, fill these bags with cash. No harm will come to you if you follow these instructions.” Jim Metcalf, prosecuting, said: “The cashier took the threat to be genuine and filled the bags with cash from her till.”

Former Spring Lake general manager gets six years for arson, theft

The former general manager of Spring Lake Country Club will serve six years in prison for stealing $130,000 from the club and setting a fire that caused about $100,000 in damages. Todd Marler was in court today along with a courtroom packed with members of Spring Lake Country Club. Marler entered his guilty plea in December, which had a cap of 7 years in prison. Marler had been stealing money from the country club on the northern edge of Quincy for years and then an investigation determined that he had set the fire in an attempt cover-up the theft. Marler addressed the court. “It was my responsibility,” Marler said. “These people trusted me. I gave into a gambling addiction.” Judge Mark Drummond pointed out that although Marler had mentioned the gambling addiction, he had yet to seek treatment for it and he had also yet to begin repaying any of the agreed-upon restitution, which would take about two decades under the deal.

 South Carolina lobbyist found dead inside parking garage likely committed suicide, coroner says

A well-known South Carolina restaurant industry lobbyist whose body was found Tuesday appears to have killed himself with a gunshot to the head, authorities said. The body of Tom Sponseller, who disappeared more than a week ago, was discovered Tuesday morning by investigators inside a double enclosed room in the lower level of a parking garage near his office in Columbia, according to police.  Sponseller was last seen by his colleagues at around noon at the office. His Mercedes sedan was found parked in the garage near his office and no signs of a struggle were evident. His cellphone and wallet were missing.  Federal authorities investigating Sponseller’s disappearance told the State newspaper last week that as much as $900,000 may be missing from the association. Law enforcement officials reportedly said that Sponseller’s accounting director, Rachel Duncan, 41, is a person of interest in the missing money investigation, which involves allegations of “gambling.” 

 Children locked in carpark an ‘ugly reality of gambling’

The case of five children found locked in a van Auckland’s SkyCity carpark is an “ugly reality of problem gambling”, the Green Party says. The children’s parents were later found using the casino’s electronic gambling machines. Their children have now been taken into Child Youth and Family care. The Greens said it will only get worse if the Government’s convention centre deal with the casino goes ahead. When officers arrived they were able to cut a hole in a plastic sheet which covered the rear window of the van and found five children inside, ranging in age from five months to eight years. “It was horrible, it was very frightening and the children were clearly very distressed,” the woman said. “Surely it’s against human nature to leave these children abandoned in a dark, boiling hot vehicle while you go and gamble in the casino,” the woman said. “It’s absolutely sick that these people can become regular users of a casino, that they can get a loyalty card that pays for their parking – where their children are being babysat by security cameras.”

 Corruption batters Korean sports

The country’s top baseball league has become the latest victim of a snowballing match-fixing scandal that came to light earlier last month. Kim Sung-hyun, a pitcher for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization, has told prosecutors in Daegu that he accepted bribes from a broker to take part in spot-fixing in 2011. Prosecutors in Daegu took the 23-year-old into custody Tuesday after gathering a testimony from a broker named Kim, who was arrested last week. The LG Twins pitcher had initially denied the claim, but admitted later his involvement in spot-fixing after nearly eight hours of questioning, according to the prosecutors. Unlike match-fixing, spot-fixing does not necessarily involve any direct attempt to influence the results of games, especially in team sports such as baseball where playing to a draw or a fixed score require the cooperation of many players. According to the prosecutors, spot-fixing in the Korean baseball league has its roots in illegal betting, where bettors can bet on certain aspects of games, such as a base on balls in the first inning.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 02/20 – 02/26

Seattle Gang Leader gets 25 Years for Illegal Gambling Murder

Fresh in the casino gambling news this week, is the story that a Seattle based gang leader has been sent to prison for twenty five years, following the killing of an alleged rival to an illegal drug and gambling operation. Mr. Quy Nguyen has been convicted of second degree murder with a firearm, the manufacture of marijuana, and conspiracy to commit organized crime, the Seattle Times reported. U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez, carried out the sentence on Nguyen at the start of the weekend, by declaring the suspect guilty of the crimes mentioned, and stating he will serve twenty five years. Nguyen had already pleaded guilty to the charge of second degree murder with a firearm and and conspiracy to commit organized crime, back in October last year.

 Ala. casino boss describes cash payment to rep.

A casino developer said Friday that he put $20,000 in cash in a small box and gave it to a legislator who sought money for supporting the businessman’s projects in southeastern Alabama. Ronnie Gilley, who has pleaded guilty to paying bribes, described his relationship with former Democratic Rep. Terry Spicer of Elba, who pleaded guilty in November to taking more than $100,000 in bribes from Gilley and his lobbyist, Jarrod Massey. The description came in the third day of Gilley’s testimony in the trial of casino owner Milton McGregor, Sen. Harri Anne Smith, former Sens. Larry Means and Jim Preuitt, casino lobbyist Tom Coker, and casino spokesman Jay Walker. They are accused of working with Gilley to buy and sell votes for pro-gambling legislation designed to reopen Gilley’s and McGregor’s casinos during a state crackdown on electronic bingo machines.

 MotorWorld employee charged with stealing nearly $131,000

An employee of MotorWorld in Plains Township was charged with  embezzling $130,866 from the company, which she said she took as a  result of a gambling addiction and credit card debt. Denise Zbierski, 35, of Cleveland Street in the Hudson section of  Plains Township, was arraigned this morning before Magisterial District  Judge Martin Kane in Wilkes-Barre on charges of theft by deception and  tampering with records or identification. According to the police criminal complaint, officers were dispatched  to Motorworld for a reported theft. They spoke to company controller  William Durkin, who said he discovered an employee embezzling from the  company during the 2011 audit. He discovered Zbierski, the payroll  administrator, was the fifth highest paid employee for 2011. Believing it was a clerical error, he brought it to her attention on  Jan. 18. She broke down in the office when confronted and admitted to  the theft, saying she took the money because of a gambling addiction and credit card debt.

 Police  Detain 171 People, Seize 370 Computerised Gambling Machines

A total of 171 people were detained by the police in several operations conducted in the Timur Laut district since early this year.  Timur Laut District Police chief ACP Gan Kong Meng said the suspects were arrested following raids in the George Town area during operations to eliminate illegal gambling, especially using computers. So far, police had carried 271 raids and seized more than 370 computers, worth more than RM740,000, in the district this year, he added.  ”Those detained are mostly the caretakers and we are now working to identify the individuals responsible for operating these illegal gambling dens,” he told reporters here today.

Finance director stole £1.8m from chartered surveyor firm to feed gambling addiction

A financial director who plundered £1.8m from a top firm of chartered surveyors to feed his gambling addiction has been jailed for four years. Andrew Stubbs, 41, blew the fortune on football and horse racing after forging more than 2,200 cheques over an eight year period while working for Leslie Clark Construction Consultants. He faked the signature of the firm’s senior partner to cash up to three £1,000 cheques a day, Southwark Crown Court heard. The £45,000-a-year financial director almost singlehandedly bankrupted the company. The partners were forced to re-mortgage their homes, raid their savings and lay off staff to bail out the company after Stubbs was arrested in May 2011, the court was told.

 Four charged in Miami foreclosure scam

Four Miami residents have been arrested and charged with racketeering in an alleged fake foreclosure/short sale real estate scam that totaled $2.4 million dollars, according to Miami-Dade police and state attorney’s office. According to the arrest warrant, the defendants claimed to have connections within Miami-Dade County government that allowed them offer advance deals on foreclosed homes coming up for auction through the government’s website. The alleged scammers met their victims through cold-calling on the phone or in public places, such as a casino. Checks for deposits ranging from $1,000 to $195,000 were written to Miami Dade County, but the alleged scammers took the checks to check-cashing stores and claimed the buyers had simply put the wrong name on the checks.

 Top Chicago lawmaker indicted on federal tax charges

A prominent public official in Chicago was indicted on Thursday on federal tax charges for allegedly diverting campaign funds and other monies to pay for personal expenses while failing to report it as income. The four-count indictment alleges that Cook County Commissioner William Beavers paid himself more than $225,000 between 2006 and 2008 from campaign funds and a county expense account and used at least some of the money for personal purposes, including gambling. “If politicians choose to use their campaign funds for personal use then they, like all the citizens they serve, share the obligation to honestly report their income and pay the correct amount of taxes,” Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois said in a statement.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 02/13 – 02/19

Birds seized at suspected cockfighting site to be euthanized

Dozens of roosters were slated to be euthanized after they were seized from a suspected illegal cockfighting operation in Riverside County, officials said Monday. Deputies arrested 28 people on suspicion of being illegal animal fighting spectators. The home owner, Martin Ruezga, 47,  was arrested with his son Miguel Angel Ruezga, 25, and his brother Filiberto Ruezga, 62, on suspicion of animal cruelty and illegal gambling, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. A number of suspected participants tried to flee as deputies and animal-service officers raided the operation Sunday morning in Jurupa  Valley, county officials said.

  Realtor Defrauded Banks, Stole from Friends

A high-rolling Sevier County realtor thought the odds were good he would pay back his unsuspecting victims before his crimes were discovered. He lost that bet. Now, Jacky Randall McCarter, a confessed gambling addict who once ruled as a “million-dollar producer” in the real estate market in Sevier County and enjoyed social prominence as well, is headed to federal prison for two years. “It wasn’t set out to be a scheme I honestly thought, somehow, someway, it would be repaid,” McCarter said Friday of the money he stole in what IRS Criminal Investigator Susanne Lee called a real estate version of a Ponzi scheme. “They were my friends, they really were, and I didn’t think in no certain terms this would happen.” U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips was unmoved. “He did this (thievery) not once but several times, obtaining fraudulent loans to pay off other fraudulent loans,” Phillips said. “The defendant also derived money from embezzling from two local youth sports organizations.”

 Ailing Matz gets 6 years supervision 

Loretta Matz, the former Lower Swatara Twp. treasurer and tax collector who embezzled more than $229,000 to feed her gambling habit, was sentenced to 12 months of house arrest and six years of  supervision outside of prison by a Dauphin County judge on Monday, Feb. 13. Matz was ordered by Judge Jeanine Turgeon to pay restitution and undergo counseling for her gambling addiction. She must stay out of casinos and off Internet gambling sites, Turgeon said. Dauphin County will place a judgment against her Shope Gardens house to guarantee that it collects some of the proceeds of any future sale of the property, said First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo.

 Center financial planner sentenced to prison in $2.5 million theft

A Center financial planner’s gambling addiction doesn’t justify his decade-long scheme to steal about $2.5 million from his clients, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. John D. Wosotowsky, 51, pleaded guilty in October to mail fraud and filing a false income tax return. U.S. District Judge Maurice Cohill sentenced him to 8 years and 1 month in prison and ordered him to pay $2.3 million in restitution. Wosotowsky, who worked for MetLife Securities, told 25 people, most of whom were elderly, that he was investing their money in safe, high-return investments when he actually used some of the money for gambling and some to pay other victims what he claimed were returns on their investments, prosecutors say.

 Witness Asked to Expose Her Breasts to Alabama Casino Lobbyist in Corruption Probe

A witness for a high profile Alabama political gambling corruption case wept after hearing a taped phone call of her casino owner client suggesting she expose her breasts to win a senator’s vote on gambling legislation. It’s all tied to allegations of “vote buying” as a means of getting pro-gambling legislation in the state to pass. Jennifer Pouncy testified Tuesday in the trial of former Sen. Jim Preuitt, two other present and former senators, as well as three other individuals associated with casinos. Pouncy lobbied for the electronic bingo casino Country Crossing. In an FBI wiretap, Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley suggests to Pouncy’s supervisor that she expose her breasts to Preuitt and allow him to touch her. Gilley says in the call: “Tell her I’ll give her a $50,000 bonus.” Pouncy pleaded guilty to conspiracy; Gilley pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy.

 Officer sentenced for stealing $131K

A former Miami-Dade police officer was sentenced to prison Thursday as part of a plea deal in a rip-off conspiracy.John Villar pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of strong-arm robbery and burglary of a vehicle in connection with the April 2010 incident on the Palmetto Expressway. The eight-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department used his badge and police vehicle to stage a traffic stop on a man who was carrying $131,000 in cash from gambling winnings, then steal that bag of money, investigators said. Investigators believe a bookie and Villar’s cousin were in on the conspiracy. Villar was sentenced to eight years in prison and an additional three years on probation. He will not be allowed any future career in law enforcement.

 Credit union employee accused of stealing $120,000 from vault

An employee at a Longview credit union has been accused of stealing $120,000 out of the vault, apparently to fuel an expensive gambling habit. Roxane Justine Ramey, 55, who was in charge of the vault at Cowlitz Credit Union, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of money laundering and first-degree theft. Ramey stole the money between July 1, 2010, and last Dec. 2, and then falsified records to hide the fact that the cash was missing, Longview police said in a report. Ramey and her husband, Ervin (Ron) Ramey are believed to have gambled away much of the money at the Lucky Eagle Casino near Rochester. The Longview couple racked up nearly $112,000 in gambling losses at the casino between July 2010 and this month, according to the report.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 02/06 – 02/12

Trial begins for Shady Hills man accused of killing mother, stepfather, then hitting casino

His ex-girlfriend visited him in jail and asked what happened. It was mid February 2008 and she heard Jackie Braden was accused of killing his mother and stepfather, stealing $200,000 in cash and 40 pounds of marijuana from their safe and partying at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa before he was found. Braden, now 40, told the woman he deserved the death penalty for what he did, Halkitis told jurors. “It was harder than I thought it would be,” he said of shooting his mother and stepfather, according to the prosecutor. Braden is charged with two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted he faces life in prison.

Man arrested at Hard Rock, found driving murder victim’s car

A 32-year-old man, wanted for the murder of his girlfriend in Pottstown, Pa., was arrested at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino early Tuesday, according to Seminole Tribal Police. Edwin Carrero was spotted by Officer Alex Coronado at 2:10 a.m. on the third floor of the Winner’s Way parking garage. Corerro was acting suspiciously and “rummaging through the back of a gray Jetta,” police spokesman Gary Bitner said. Officer Coronado ran a record’s check and discovered the car and its Florida tag were both stolen. He also learned the Volkswagen Jetta was registered to murder victim Alicia Schmidt, Bitner said.

Sex trafficker sentenced to 30 years in prison

A 35-year-old man from Tamarac was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on Thursday for sex trafficking and producing child pornography, according to U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer. The trial evidence showed that in December 2009, Curtis recruited a 15-year-old runaway to work for him as a prostitute, going on “dates” within days. He also took sexually explicit photographs of her to be used in prostitution ads on web sites such as Craigslist and Backpage.com, according to court documents. Curtis used the money to support a lifestyle that included nightly gambling at the Hard Rock Casino and driving around in a luxury vehicle.

Officer in WA accused of stealing from family fund

Lakewood police officer was charged with embezzling more than $120,000 from a fund for families of four colleagues who were shot to death while on duty then spending some of the money on trips to Las Vegas, the U.S. attorney’s office said Wednesday. Officer Skeeter Timothy Manos also is accused of making purchases of several thousand dollars at Costco and Home Depot with the money. “This is a sad day for our community,” U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement. “These acts betrayed the memory of our fallen heroes, their families, fellow officers and all who supported the fund.”        

“Stealing from the children of our fallen officers is disgraceful,” added Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. The public contributed more than $3.2 million to the families of the four Lakewood officers who were shot to death by convict Maurice Clemmons at a coffee shop while they were beginning their shifts. Clemmons fled the scene, sparking a statewide manhunt that ended when a Seattle police officer shot and killed him two days later.

Woman gets prison for embezzling $250,000 from Concord Pet

A woman who embezzled more than $250,000 from Concord Pet Food and Supplies was sentenced to 60 days in prison and a year of home confinement last week. Sherry W. Hensley, 56, of Townsend, was also ordered by Superior Court Judge Richard R. Cooch to repay her employer and undergo gambling-addiction counseling and have no contact with any gaming establishment or websites.  Prosecutors had asked for a six-month sentence of incarceration. Prosecutors said Hensley’s theft was apparently motivated by gambling problems.

 American Judge Facing Jail for Illegal Gambling

Law enforcement officials in the State of Arizona match their Texan counterparts in suppression of unregulated gambling. No one, caught gambling outside of the law, is spared under Arizona law. Not even judges. A former judge of the state precinct court was been arrested and convinced for running an illegal casino. The three felony counts include conspiracy, promotion of gambling, and running and illegal enterprise. To fend off potential illegal casino operators, Mark Brnovich, Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming has stated: ”We’re sending a message in the strongest terms possible.”

 Casino scuffle involving NY senator probed

Police and Seneca Indian Nation officials continue to investigate a fight at a tribal casino that left a New York state senator with bruised ribs and his wife with a concussion. Sen. Mark Grisanti says he was trying to diffuse an argument between two men at the Seneca Niagara Casino Friday night when he was punched in the chest and head. His wife, Maria, says she was attacked by two women who slammed her head on the floor. Niagara Falls Police Capt. William Thomson says Monday that investigators are asking for statements from those involved. He says Grisanti hasn’t been in yet.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Florida Mega Casinos would lead to More Crime at a Cost of $3 Billion in Incarceration Costs Alone

Casino Watch Focus reported that the opposition for Florida’s mega-destination casinos had grown to include some very impressive and influential groups.  The group No –Casinos reported on the results of a study entitled “Casinos and Florida: Crime and Prison Costs.”  The Miami Herald explains that the reports points to a huge increase in crime, which will cost Florida $3 billion:

Allowing resort casinos in Miami-Dade County would lead to a spike in crime — from rapes to burglaries — an anti-gaming group charged on Wednesday.

The No Casinos advocacy group, whose membership includes heavy-hitters such as former state Senator Dan Gelber and billionaire auto magnate Norman Braman, based its dire predictions on a new study it commissioned, titled “Casinos and Florida: Crime and Prison Costs.”

Add up all those new crimes, and the study estimates the state will have to spend an additional $3 billion in incarceration costs (housing prisoners and building new prisons) in a 10-year period after resort casinos open in Miami-Dade.

The study analyzed the 2006 National study of casino-crime connection published by Harvard and MIT in the Review of Economics and Statistics.  A former attorney for the Florida Legislature and a former state economist concluded that there would be an 8 -12 percent increase in crime as a result of the new casinos.  Even if some of the unique characteristics of Florida that critics of the study point to are factored in, namely that there are a lot of tourist who will also frequent the casinos, its not hard to see how even half the projected crime increase could cause over a billion dollar loss to Florida.  The Miami Herald goes on to explain that the crime rates could be even higher when you calculate the impact of problem gamblers:

Perhaps the strongest connection between gambling and lawbreaking is one that’s somewhat overlooked in the No Casinos study — the high frequency of criminal activity among those who are compulsive or problem gamblers. When people have more gambling options close to home, the prevalence of problem gambling increases, as evidenced by the rising number of callers to the state’s toll-free gambling addiction helpline.

Calls to the helpline have increased 57 percent in the last four years — just as gambling has expanded at Florida’s Indian casinos and racetracks. More than one-third of helpline callers these days admit to some form of criminal activity to help finance their habit.

“That’s the one-third that are admitting it,” said Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling Deputy Director Jennifer Campbell, who suspects the true percentage is even higher.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 01/30 – 02/05

Six Crime Family Suspects Arrested

Federal investigators during an early-morning sweep Friday arrested five alleged members of a prominent crime organization, including the purported acting boss, and charged them with racketeering, extortion and drug dealing. Vincent Badalamenti, who is said to go by the moniker “Vinny TV,” was the highest-ranking person arrested, according to court papers unsealed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Authorities described the 53-year-old as the acting boss of the Bonanno crime family. Three others were said to be captains in the organization and a fifth was named a soldier, officials said. All five face charges of racketeering, extortion, illegal gambling and conspiring to distribute marijuana, officials said. A sixth man, described as an associate of the Gambino crime family, was also arrested in Friday’s sweep and charged with loan-sharking, according to federal prosecutors.

Defendant in Alabama Gambling Trial Found Dead

The gambling industry was abuzz with news today that the defendant in a controversial Alabama gambling case was found dead in his home on Sunday. Joseph “Ray” Crosby was set to stand trial in a reopened case beginning on Monday, and police are not disclosing any information about the cause of his death just yet.

Crosby served as an attorney and an analyst with Alabama Legislative Reference Service and was accused, along with ten other defendants, of being involved in a scheme where casino owners in the state allegedly bribed legislators to give their backing to gambling reforms. During the first trial, Crosby went through a difficult divorce, and he often had his adult children in court with him to offer support. In the months following his indictment, Crosby resigned from his job at the Legislative Reference Service.

Wis. woman gets 5 yrs for theft from blood center

A Neenah woman convicted of embezzling about $500,000 from the Community Blood Center in Grand Chute has been sentenced to five years in prison. Tina M. Jacobsen was also ordered Monday to pay restitution of about $3,500 per month for 13 years. The 50-year-old was convicted of three counts of felony theft from the blood center, which supplies blood to 18 hospitals in Wisconsin and Michigan.  Judge Mark McGinnis told Jacobsen she was “ripping off the community.” Before sentencing, Jacobsen said she used the money to feed a gambling addiction.

 Calgary woman who chopped up roommate seeks unescorted passes from jail

Calgary woman convicted of chopping her roommate to death with an axe and concealing dismembered body parts in boxes is going before the National Parole Board on Wednesday. Deborah Point was sentenced to life with no chance for parole for 20 years after being convicted of second-degree murder for the 1999 slaying of friend Audrey Trudeau. During Point’s Court of Queen’s Bench jury trial, it was said Trudeau discovered Point had drained $5,000 worth of cheques from her bank account. It ended with 15 crushing blows to Trudeau’s head the night of Feb. 25, 1999. The body parts were packed in boxes sealed with duct taped and stored in a friend’s garage on 33rd Avenue S.W. They weren’t found for nearly five months. Point admitted stealing her friend’s money to feed an out-of-control VLT gambling addiction.

Woman sentenced for embezzling more than $60,000

A 49-year-old Manitowoc woman will spend three months in jail for embezzling more than $60,000 from Hobby Lobby while employed at the Manitowoc store. Manitowoc County Circuit Court Judge Jerome Fox withheld the sentence for Tracy C. Begley on Thursday and placed her on five years of probation. Conditions of probation include spending three months in jail starting March 27. Begley also was ordered to pay $64,724 in restitution to Hobby Lobby, to write a letter of apology and to refrain from gambling.

Two women accused of stealing $1 million each from two archdioceses

Employees of the New York and Philadelphia archdioceses are accused of stealing $1 million each in church funds over the past decade. Collins was arraigned Jan. 30 on criminal charges of grand larceny and falsifying business records and ordered held on $750,000 bail. She faces a possible jail sentence of up to 25 years. Both archdioceses were said to be cooperating with the local investigations and reviewing their internal financial oversight procedures. “Sadly, there will always be individuals who seek to exploit and circumvent whatever system is established, but we will remain vigilant in our oversight,” Zwilling said. In the Philadelphia case, Guzzardi’s alleged embezzlement was uncovered when a fraud investigator for American Express reported to the archdiocese that the woman had been paying off gambling debts to the Borgata casino in Atlantic City, N.J., with archdiocesan funds.

Son’s gambling addiction lead to theft: court

A Far South Coast mother stole more than $1.1 million from her employers, using every cent of the  funds to feed her son’s crippling gambling addiction, Wollongong District Court heard yesterday. Diane Felkin spent nearly seven years defrauding a Batemans Bay car dealership, transferring funds into her own accounts before handing it over to her son, who spent it at casinos and online gaming sites. The 61-year-old made more than 100 unauthorised transactions while working at Batemans Bay Motors, covering the missing money with references to non-existent vehicle pay-outs, staff holiday pay and bonuses, loans and purported transfers to the Australian Taxation Office, the court was told yesterday.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION