Casino Crime Roundup: Guilty Plea to Gambling Embezzled $230K

Posted on: February 28, 2024, 02:27h. 

Last updated on: February 28, 2024, 11:14h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A former New Hampshire resident recently pled guilty in Concord federal court to embezzling about $230K from a local charity. Much of the money was spent at Massachusetts’ MGM Springfield casino.

MGM Springfield
The MGM Springfield, pictured above. Ill-gotten money was gambled at the casino. (Image: MassLive)

Kyle Fisher, 43, formerly of Grantham, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the case, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday. He now resides in North Carolina.

Fisher was indicted on four counts of wire fraud, according to Valley News, a New Hampshire news outlet.

The charity for which he worked was identified as Listen Community Services. Fisher had been the organization’s executive director between 2016 and 2022. He left his post in October 2022.

Fisher had access to the nonprofit’s finances, including its QuickBooks accounts, PayPal accounts, and bank accounts, according to the New Hampshire Union-Leader news outlet.

Fisher made improper transfers from Listen’s PayPal and bank accounts to his own accounts by writing eight checks payable to himself. Fisher “concealed the fraudulent nature of these checks by claiming that they were payments to legitimate vendors,” prosecutors said.

For instance, $63,146 was falsely identified as having been spent for Dell computer equipment earmarked for the charity, the Union-Leader reported.

Lost Money Gambling

In January 2022, Fisher lost $6,719 at the MGM casino. The case was investigated, and Fisher was charged on May 10, 2023.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled Fisher’s sentencing for June 11. He faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250K fine, prosecutors said.

Teen Sexually Trafficked at Casino

A Florissant, Missouri. suspect was arrested Tuesday after a 16-year-old was sex trafficked at a Missouri gaming property.

Angel Henderson allegedly recruited, harbored, and transported the child to have sex in exchange for money at River City Casino Hotel in St. Louis.

The incident was revealed last week, according to Missouri TV station KTVI.

Henderson and a second suspect, Mack Mitchell, allegedly brought the child to the gaming property. Both were charged with second-degree sexual trafficking of a child under 18.

Henderson was booked in jail and bail was set at $300K. Henderson is scheduled to appear in court on March 4, when a judge will review bail.

Mitchell has yet to be arrested. It’s unclear where he is currently located.

There’s no word on what happened to the teenager.