Daily Archives: June 28, 2021

A Brief Look at Crime 06/21 – 06/27

Florida woman’s club treasurer accused of stealing $160,000 in donations to gamble in casinos

The GFWC Woman’s Club of Clearwater treasurer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars over a period of two years, according to Investigators. Sharon Lynn Brindamour, 59, allegedly used $160,000 in charitable donations to gamble in casinos officals said. “She went to the Hard Rock in Tampa, she went to the Hard Rock in Fort Lauderdale, she went to Harras in Biloxi, Mississippi, she spent it on her own personal car insurance,” Pinellas County Sheriff’s Corporal Travis Sibley said. The club first contacted authorities when management changed and the numbers weren’t adding up, Sibley said. GFWC Woman’s Club of Clearwater helps local charities and nonprofit groups like the Clearwater Free Clinic. “Our mission is to help improve the health of the community as a whole,” Clinic’s Development Director Meredith Reagin said “By helping people that don’t have the means to access care themselves.”

DraftKings Subpoenaed by US Authorities Investigating New York Lobbyist’s Circle 

A lobbyist in New York with ties to the gaming industry is under scrutiny by federal regulators. The office of the US attorney in the *Southern District of New York*, through its public corruption unit, is reportedly investigating *Patrick Jenkins*, according to the New York Times (NYT), but hasn’t provided any specific details regarding the motive behind the investigation. Jenkins, a former aide to current New York, Assembly Speaker *Carl E. Heastie*, is said to have links with *DraftKings*, *FanDuel*, the *NBA*, *MLB*, *The Stars Group*, and others, and at least two of his gaming clients have been subpoenaed as part of the investigation.

According to public records, Jenkins’ firm was paid over *$3.22 million in compensation in 2019, a substantial increase from *the $37,500* it had received in *2014*. Heastie became the Assembly Speaker in 2015, and, in 2016, his campaign was paying Jenkins $4,000 a month. Some have drawn ties between the appointment and the compensation.

Casino Miami Melee Follows Outside Shooting, Two Victims Hospitalized

Miami cops continue to investigate a shooting spree near Casino Jai-Alai Miami. Three people were wounded Thursday evening outside of the Florida gaming property, and the casino was evacuated by police. Officers had their firearms drawn as they entered the casino, according to /WSVN/, a local TV station. “Everybody out, now,” an officer ordered players and visitors at the casino, the report adds. Moments after the shooting, several people outside of the casino ran inside of the gaming property for protection from the gunfire. Some hid in the manager’s office. Outside, shots had been fired by occupants of two cars driving near the casino. The driver of a back sedan appeared to be chasing the second car, a white sedan, /WSVN/ said. Miami-Dade Police Lt. Carlos Rosario said one of the suspects was “hanging out of the black sedan just shooting,” the report said. The occupants of a third car were apparently caught in the crossfire. Two of the wounded individuals were treated at a local hospital, /WSVN/ said. A third person was grazed by a bullet, the report adds.

Lanarkshire finance officer admits embezzling quarter of a million pounds

A shamed finance officer stole more than £240,000 to fund his gambling habit. John Reid, overpaid companies linked to First People Solutions Ltd. where he worked between March 2014 and July 2017. He then got his hands on the cash by asking the firms to send the surplus back into his own bank account. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Reid carried out 155 transactions and pocketed a total of £244,950. The 39-year-old confessed to his manager when caught and stated he had a “gambling addiction.” Reid, of East Kilbride, pled guilty to embezzlement on Friday.

Feds recommend prison time for elderly Detroit-area woman who stole $440,000 from Social Security

The government is recommending a prison term for a Detroit woman who stole more than $440,000 over 30 years by cashing Social Security checks issued to her late grandmother. It’s the largest case of Social Security theft in eastern Michigan in more than five years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Andrea Billingsley-Jamison, 63, pleaded guilty in March 2020 to stealing government money, but her sentence has been delayed because of the coronavirus. She’s due in federal court on July 21. Her grandmother died in 1987, but the government apparently wasn’t aware and kept sending Social Security checks. Billingsley-Jamison’s attorney acknowledged that the government’s loss was “substantial” but said prison isn’t necessary for the first-time offender. Billingsley-Jamison used the money to support her parents, her daughter and a gambling addiction, lawyer Nancy McGunn said in a May 28 court filing.

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