A former blackjack dealer at MGM National Harbor has been indicted for allegedly working with players to steal more than $43,000 from the casino. The charges were announced on June 6 by Prince George’s County State’s Attorney, Aisha Braveboy.

Surveillance Uncovers Ex-Dealer’s $43K Conspiracy with Players

Jamie Smith, 31, is accused of conspiring with three players to cheat the casino while she was employed there back in October 2023, reported WTOP News. Surveillance footage showed that Smith let these players see her cards before they made their betting choices and allowed them to change their bets after the cards were dealt and did not collect on losing ones, enabling the thefts.

An internal investigation by MGM triggered by a review of surveillance tapes uncovered the scheme. Approximately $43,250 in losses were incurred by the casino. 

Additionally, this incident also has broader implications, as MGM, along with other Maryland casinos, contributes to the state’s Education Trust Fund, which supports public education.

Maryland’s State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said economic crimes such as this have far-reaching consequences. She noted that when individuals steal from casinos it takes away funds meant for public schools thereby robbing children of their education opportunities. However, she highlighted that this case is unique during her tenure, as most incidents at the casino typically involve more direct forms of theft or violence.

Ex-Dealer Charged with Embezzlement and Theft, Faces Up to 10 Years in Prison

Assistant State’s Attorney Joel Patterson echoed Braveboy’s sentiments saying this crime was nonetheless serious because it amounted to theft as Smith was entrusted with handling money belonging to the casino while carrying out her duties. 

Smith has been indeed charged with theft, conspiracy to commit theft and embezzlement. She faces up to ten years in jail if convicted. The charges reflect not just the theft of funds, but also the breach of trust placed in her as a casino employee. 

MGM National Harbor released a statement following Smith’s indictment saying they have zero tolerance for any illegal activity involving their employees or customers.

The company commended the swift detection and reporting of Smith’s alleged crimes while emphasizing its commitment to maintaining the highest levels of integrity when dealing with law enforcement agencies during investigations into such matters.In other recent news, law enforcement in Prince George’s County, Maryland, is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred at the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino. The victim, an adult male, was found with gunshot wounds in the casino’s parking garage and died of his injuries at the scene.

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Financial crimes, burglaries, robberies and other criminal activities are much easier to uncover nowadays thanks to technological innovations, proactive monitoring and CCTV. Casino operators across the globe continue to invest heavily in technology to protect their online and retail operations, battling against a wide range of criminal activities, including money laundering, fraud and robberies, among others.

Earlier this week, one casino patron who visited Bally’s Evansville in Indiana, and was suspected of auto theft, was arrested, a report released by 44 News reveals. On Wednesday morning, casino security contacted law enforcement to notify them about the presence of an individual who was suspected to be involved in an auto theft.

Police units were dispatched to the Evansville casino where they identified the suspect as a 46-year-old with the initials K.S.N. The same person was suspected of a theft dating back to earlier this week, the new report reveals. It is unclear whether he was identified by CCTV footage or witnesses who were able to recognize him.

Police Officers Find Drugs, Book the Suspect in Jail

The 46-year-old suspected of the car theft agreed to a search. He was detained and police uncovered drugs in his possession. K.S.N. reportedly had a glass pipe, as well as fentanyl and meth. The person was subsequently arrested and booked in the Vanderburgh County Jail. He is reportedly facing charges related to the car theft along with drug-related charges. It is yet to be confirmed what penalty he may face if he is found guilty.

In other crime-related news, a 35-year-old man who drove his car through the fence of a solar facility that provided power to MGM Resorts recently pleaded guilty. The person caused damage to the Mega Solar Array facility located 25 miles outside Las Vegas by ramming through the fence. He then allegedly set his car on fire and fled the crime scene.

The person allegedly responsible for the damage to the solar facility entered into a guilty plea under the stipulation that he is mentally ill, KLAS reported. As a result, he accepted guilt for second-degree arson and malicious destruction of property.

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Jordan Lewis Cook, a former Gun Lake Casino employee responsible for maintaining and unclogging the casino’s cash-out machines, has confessed to stealing over $84,500 in cash over a span of 14 months. 

The Casino Worker to Return $84,564 Stolen from Indian Tribal Organization

The federal charge against Cook is for theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, which carries a potential punishment of up to five years in prison and a hefty fine of $250,000. Cook is scheduled to be sentenced in January.

The series of thefts occurred between September 2021 and November 2022 at the popular Allegan County casino operated by the Gun Lake Tribe. Cook’s responsibilities included helping clear jams in the cash-out machines located in and around the casino floor. To perform this task, he used a key card to open the machines, removed the cassettes holding currency in various denominations, and addressed any misfed or crinkled bills. Shockingly, he would also pilfer cash from the machines during this process, as revealed in the ‘factual basis of guilt’ contained in the plea agreement.

Cook admitted to stealing various denominations of cash on at least 32 separate occasions, resulting in a staggering total of $84,564, which he then converted for personal use.

The federal theft charge against Cook was initially indicted in March. Following his arraignment in May and his release on $10,000 bail, Cook and his legal team opted for a plea agreement, ultimately admitting his guilt in late August. The plea deal stipulates that Cook must make full restitution of the stolen money to Gun Lake Casino. 

Another Michigan Casino Worker Faces Million-Dollar Bail in $700,000 Embezzlement Case

Another similar case in the state saw Danika Young, a 38-year-old cash cage supervisor at the Four Winds Hartford Casino in Michigan, accused of embezzling $700,000. She was arrested and her bail was set at $1 million.

Young claimed she received a call instructing her to take the money to Indiana, but the funds remain unrecovered. She faced charges related to embezzlement and could potentially serve up to 20 years in prison if sentenced. Judge Arthur Clarke expressed concern about the missing money and set a high bail to prevent Young from disappearing.

At the same time in neighboring Minnesota, Blake Carl Fitzgerald faced potential prison time for operating an illegal gambling scheme on TikTok and Discord. Over three months, he allegedly received $65,103 from customers through CashApp and Venmo, then live-streamed himself playing slot games at casinos, with subscribers choosing the machines.

Fitzgerald kept more than half of the winnings and charged subscribers $5.99, communicating with them on Discord. He now faces three counts of running an illegal gambling operation, which could result in up to three years in prison and significant fines.

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Salinas police reported the case which took place on Sunday morning and was not noticed until after the employee in charge of cash noticed the discrepancy between the money present and the money reported.

The theft was immediately signaled to the police, which arrived on the scene. Upon scrutinizing video surveillance, authorities found out that the suspect was dressed in a dark hoodie, and black pants, and wore both a black facemask and sunglasses.

While cameras have been able to capture the man and have pinned his weight to around 200 pounds and height to 5-6 feet, no one has been arrested so far. The case itself is somewhat sparingly detailed in reports.

The Bankers Casino had offered no comment on how it was possible for a stranger to approach the cash location, rifle through, and leave with a significant amount of the turnover. The police have offered no further comment as well. Yet, casino thefts are not all that uncommon even if not put in a cinematic fashion.

In most cases, perpetrators just identify an obvious weakness in staff behavior and take advantage of it. Most of the time, it’s an inside job. Police have not ruled out this being the case here as well.

Protecting Casino’s Cash Is Getting Tougher

Despite the advanced surveillance and security measures, instances of large thefts from casinos are continuing to make headlines. The Monarch Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, was recently the scene of a similar case.

A woman who worked as a cashier, Sabrina Eddy, was charged with stealing more than $500,000. The theft was carried out in a single day with Eddy taking money from the cash location and preparing to leave, as per surveillance coverage. Eddy defended herself and insisted that she had received a call from the casino’s head of operations on the casino phone – or at least someone who knew the number and alleged to be that person.

In the end, it was Eddy who brought back the money, but she called ahead to explain that she had taken the money off the property and confirmed that she was afraid she might be arrested. She was correct, as she remains in custody while the Division of Gaming, police authorities and the casino are investigating the incident.

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