It’s common to hit up Atlantic City’s casinos for a night of gambling, drinks and fun. It is not common, however, to defraud casinos out of more than $1 million dollars by passing phony checks. This is what a ring of three men and two women tried to do recently, resulting in charges for conspiracy and theft.
A sophisticated fraud scheme
The ring included five people ages 29 to 65. Their plan involved writing fraudulent checks to obtain gaming chips at various Atlantic City casinos, then reaping the profits. The casinos quickly caught on to the scheme, but not before reporting losses ranging from $134,000 to $284,000.
The casinos they robbed included:
- Caesars Atlantic City
- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
- Ocean Casino Resort
- Golden Nugget Atlantic City
They will not be gambling again any time soon. A grand jury indicted the team on charges of second-degree conspiracy, second-degree theft and second-degree attempted theft. This goes to show that no matter a defendant’s age or gender, the state will not hesitate to press charges. The state treats all casino-related crime with utmost seriousness, for that matter.
The penalties of committing a crime against a casino
There is no word yet on when the suspects’ trial will begin. However, if convicted, they stand to face the harsh penalties of our state’s justice system. In New Jersey, the sentence for second-degree theft can include a fine of up to $150,000 and incarceration of five to 10 years.
A conviction – or even just a charge – can also have unexpected long-term consequences. The defendants’ reputations will no doubt be tarnished permanently; not just in the tight-knit gambling world but also in the mainstream. Few casinos are likely to allow them into their facilities in the future. And individual players do not want to gamble with someone who has a reputation for fraud.