Problem gambling can often result in huge debts or in some cases push people to commit different crimes. Usually, such crimes are related to embezzlement, fraud or even robberies, resulting in criminal charges against those who decide to break the law. This is precisely the case of an assistant priest from Washington County, Pennsylvania, who was accused of stealing more than $100,000 from his parish.

Father George Athanasiou, an assistant priest with the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in North Strabane, was arrested late last month over allegations of theft from his church. After his arrest in November, he is facing 223 counts of theft, forgery and unlawful taking of funds. It’s important to mention that anyone charged with a crime isn’t automatically guilty and remains innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

In Athanasiou’s case, allegations claim that he stole some $117,000 in funds from his parish, a recent report released by WPXI-TV reveals. Reportedly, the assistant priest was able to obtain the money through illegal cashing of checks. However, when questioned, Athanasiou admitted having a gambling problem, which sheds light on his decision to steal from his church.

On Monday, the assistant priest waived his preliminary hearing. After posting bond, he was released, and he will have to undergo a mental health evaluation. While Athanasiou’s case was with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office initially, it was reassigned to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. This move comes after it was discovered that some members of the County District Attorney’s Office were reportedly members of the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church.

The Embezzlement Continued for More than a Year

Allegedly, the assistant priest started to steal funds from his church in April 2022. Athanasiou, who was a member of the church for nearly five years, reportedly continued to embezzle funds before his arrest late last month. It is yet to be confirmed whether the assistant priest used the money to gamble at land-based casinos, engage in online gambling activities or placed wagers on sports.

“People are upset, but a lot of the church people are actually supporting the father and, I’m gonna tell you right now, we’re gonna pay back all this money, every cent.“

Pat Thomassey, defense attorney for Father George Athanasiou

Pat Thomassey, the attorney defending Athanasiou, said that his client disclosed to law enforcement that he had a gambling problem without going into much detail. “He had a gambling problem. He alluded to that in the statement he gave to police. And, that’s not uncommon today,” explained the attorney. Thomassey outlined that many people are frustrated with what happened but hinted at plans for restitution for this case.

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A person identified with the initials J.G., an 18-year-old hacker from Wisconsin, who allegedly stole over $600,000 from DraftKings giant by hacking into the online accounts of more than 1,000 registered players, has pleaded guilty to the charges brought to him.

J.G. allegedly stole the login and password information of over 1,600 DraftKings members and used the information to hack into over 60,000 accounts on the online sports betting platform in November 2022. 

“Fraud Is Fun”

As per information from federal prosecutors in Manhattan, the teenager has been accused of sending the stolen login information to other individuals who then made use of it to withdraw over $600,000 from around 1,600 accounts. 

The procedure, which is referred to as credential stuffing, was openly admitted by the 18-year-old who attempted to take cash out of other players’ accounts in an illegal manner. He transparently texted one of his co-conspirators saying “Fraud is fun,” according to official court documents, adding that he was “addicted to seeing money” in his account.

When investigators searched his home in February 2023, they allegedly discovered a series of programs that the teenager had used in credential stuffing.

The young man had apparently used more than 700 individualized files to set up a website used to launch the cyber-attacks on his computer. The device contained around 40 million password and username combinations, according to law enforcement representatives. 

DraftKings Says It Reimbursed All the Stolen Money

The investigation also found that the hacker had stolen more than $2.1 million prior to his 18th birthday, making around $15,000 per day between 2018 and 2021 alone.

He pled guilty to a count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion. The charge features a five-year in-prison maximum sentence. The alleged hacker will be sentenced at a later date. 

His case is prosecuted by the Southern District of New York’s Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. 

The prosecution is represented by assistant US attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson.

The company has confirmed the hacking event but did not provide any names in the suit. 

DraftKings also reimbursed all the stolen money from customers, using a statement issued by a spokesperson to explain the safety and security of the personal and financial information of their customers “is of paramount importance” to them.  

The hacker was also charged with alleged swatting, which is the process of practice of making a hoax call to the emergency services. It is believed that the teenager paid people with Bitcoin to make fake bomb-threat phone calls to his high school because he was “bored” and eager to go home, according to court documents. 

Earlier in the week, DraftKings unveiled its new Progressive Parlay feature that will target the fantasy gaming market in an attempt to push back against the growing popularity of competing fantasy sports operators.

The news follows the operator’s launch during Maine’s first weekend of regulated sports betting via a partnership with Passamaquoddy Tribe and the publishing of its Q3 results showcasing strong performance. 

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A woman who was on a date with an older man was arrested earlier this week after allegedly taking nearly $60,000 from his hotel room safe at Caesars Palace. The 27-year-old woman with initials H.M., suspected of the crime, was arrested near her home on West Sahara Avenue on Tuesday this week, a report released by the Las Vegas Review-Journal reveals, citing data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Executing a search warrant on her home, law enforcement seized some $5,200 in the form of Caesars casino chips. Additionally, police uncovered $11,700 in cash that was also taken in as evidence in the case. Reportedly, the young woman is facing charges of burglary, as well as grand larceny of more than $25,000 but less than $100,000.

The suspect is scheduled to appear in court next month on November 22, 2023. It is yet to be determined what penalty the young woman may receive for the alleged crimes. Still, a grand larceny of more than $25,000 but less than $100,000 is a category B felony that may be subject to a penalty between 1 to 10 years in prison, as well as a fine that can be up to $10,000.

A Night Out Results in Missing Chips and Cash

According to the police report, the young woman was on a date with a man who was 30 years older than her. The name of the man was not disclosed. However, the police report confirmed that the couple met through an online dating site called “Seeking Arrangement.” Allegedly, the 27-year-old agreed to stay together with the man for two days and nights in exchange for a fee of $2,500.

The duo stayed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and on the first day, the man allegedly paid the fee to the young woman. Moreover, he agreed for her to keep her purse in his hotel room safe. Besides her purse, that safe contained some $7,000 in gambling chips along with $50,000 in cash that belonged to the gentleman. The 27-year-old was then allegedly given the combination number to the safe verbally.

On the second night, the two visited the Sphere for a U2 concert. At some point, the young woman left saying that she needed to go to the restroom. Some 15 minutes later, she still hadn’t returned, and this is when the man sent her a text asking if she was okay. While he never received a response, some 30 minutes after she was gone, the man asked Caesars to block the access to his room. Once he returned back to his room at Caesars Palace, the man found that his possessions were missing from the safe.

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Tracey Stevenson, a Thetford, UK resident, was sentenced to four years in prison back in 2017 after she admitted stealing £1.7 million ($2.1 million) from her employer. The hefty sum reportedly was primarily used for gambling, as well as personal expenditures. Besides the money she stole, Stevenson had ironically secured two significant gambling wins, £220,000 ($177,800) and £1.6 million ($2 million).

But neither those wins nor the money she stole to fuel her gambling habit couldn’t help her turn her life around like prison did. In a recent interview for Metro, Stevenson shared her story and how she was able to turn her life around, after the millions won, lost, stolen and her four-year prison sentence.

Oftentimes, gambling is an entertainment activity, but some people see it as an escape from real life. Well, this is precisely Stevenson’s case. Throughout her life, she enjoyed gambling. Stevenson admitted that once she turned 18, she started playing bingo with her mother. While back then, Stevenson spent some £15 ($12) a week, that all changed once she found online gambling.

As with many people who suffer from at-risk or problem gambling, Stevenson started chasing losses. In 2011, she scored a six-figure win, or some $177,800, which helped her a bit, until she gambled it all away. During that time, Stevenson was going through a tough time in her life, given one of her friends passed away. She also had marital problems. Those issues accumulated and she admitted that she was losing a lot to gambling, given that the activity became for her an “escape from real life.”

From Stealing as an Accountant to Prison

Soon after, Stevenson reportedly started stealing from her employer. Initially, the sums weren’t that big and given that she knew her way around finance, she was able to get away with it, to some extent. In 2012, Stevenson won £1.6 million ($2 million) playing slots. She admitted that soon the money was once again gambled away. “I soon gambled it all away, though, because every time I lost, I honestly thought I could win the money back. When I didn’t, I kept on stealing,” explained Stevenson.

Several years had passed but the woman said that she had a hard time living with the stress and shame of what she had done. By that time, the stolen money had hit £1.7 million ($2.1 million). At some point, Stevenson faced a difficult choice – she thought to either take her life or admit to what she had done.

She first told her husband, who then explained the story to her employer. Soon after that, Stevenson faced jail time. Although she could’ve received eight to ten years, her sentence, in the end, was four years. In addition, she was ordered to pay nearly £800,000 ($647,000).

In prison, Stevenson became a peer-support worker, a job that involves supporting the new prisoners. Sadly, after her prison sentence, in order to recover the stolen money, she lost everything. Those events had a devastating impact on her marriage as well. Once out of prison, Stevenson worked for a charity before COVID hit. Currently, she helps women who were involved or at risk of being involved in the criminal justice system and admits that she is “at peace” with herself.

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