When a casino hires an individual, they usually have a lengthy application process. Casinos handle tens of thousands, even millions of dollars, on a regular basis, so they must trust the individuals they employ. Casinos take great pride in creating as safe environment for their guests and part of that is hiring responsible people. Despite their best efforts, it is not uncommon for an individual working at a casino to try and work the system and steal from the company. It happens time and time again and each time, the criminals are caught. The latest incident involving a reported casino theft involves four employees of a casino in Florida.
$5.3 Million Stolen
A total of eight people have been charged with stealing $5.3 million from the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming facility in West Miami-Dade. Of the eight individuals, four were employees of the venue. A computer fraud scheme was reportedly used to obtain the money from the venue.
Earlier this week, federal prosecutors stated that the four employees who no longer work for the casino were tampering with gaming machines to steal large amounts of money. The group did so for a four year time frame.
The four former employees and four accomplices face a whopping 63 counts which includes money laundering, embezzlement and computer fraud. An investigation by the FBI along with the local police department resulted in the charges filed against the eight individuals.
The property is a tribal gambling establishment owned and operated by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. There is a bingo hall on site as well as 2,000 gaming machines.
Stealing for Years
The elaborate scheme was ran from the beginning of 2011 until May of 2015. According to reports, the former employees were supposedly tampering with the machines to steal the money. They would generate false coin-in amounts to then receive a fake credit voucher.
To tamper with the machines, a wire had to be connected to a device in the gaming machine that recognizes the coins that are placed inside. The employees would connect this wire to the device and then use the other end on another metal surface to create the fame coin-in amount.
To not get caught, the employees would then use a RAM clear or hard reset on the machine. The false coin-in amounts where then erased. The scheme worked for some time, netting the criminals over $5 million.
The credit vouchers were then exchanged for cash via ATMS at the casino or via the cashiers. The money the individuals obtained was then used to purchase vehicles, real estate and investment property. some even used the money for college saving plans.
The scheme as well as the amount of money stolen from the property is currently one of the largest of its kind to ever take place in the history of fraudulent incidents involving casinos in the US. It is amazing how the scam worked as well as how much money the group was able to get away with before calling it quits. However, it has all caught up to them now and serious consequences await as the court appearances begin.
