Middle School Teacher Accused in Bizarre Sex Robbery at Harrah’s Atlantic City

Two women who allegedly restrained a Harrah’s Atlantic City guest during a sex act subsequently used his phone’s facial recognition technology to steal $1,250.

The victim was allegedly stripped naked before being “physically restrained” and robbed of $1,250 by two women, one of whom is a middle school computer teacher.

Amanda Crafts, 35, of Wildwood, N.J., and Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, face theft and conspiracy to commit robbery charges in relation to the Oct. 9 incident.

According to probable cause affidavits obtained by BreakingAC, the alleged victim initially met the women at a bar at Caesars Atlantic City, where he exchanged phone numbers with Engel.

She later invited him to join the pair in their hotel room at Harrah’s.

‘That’s What You Get for $1,250’

The man told police the women restrained him on the bed while Engel performed a sex act.

Engel then abruptly stopped, allegedly announcing, “That’s what you get for $1,250.”

Crafts held the man down while Engel used facial recognition technology to unlock his cell phone and make four separate transactions totaling $1,250 through Apple Pay, according to the complaint.

The man told investigators he had not consented to the payments.

Engel, who also faces a prostitution charge in the case, was arrested in December after allegedly offering an undercover New Jersey State Police detective sex for $1,000 at the Borgata. She was released on a summons in that case.

‘I’m a Teacher’

The involvement of Crafts, a teacher at Middle Township Middle School, added an unexpected twist to proceedings.

At her initial court appearance last week, Crafts told Judge Timothy Maguire she had never been arrested and insisted she was simply in “the wrong place at the wrong time.”

She also expressed concern about who would look after her four children while she remained in custody awaiting a detention hearing.

At Thursday’s hearing (Oct. 15), Judge Christine Smith appeared surprised to learn of Crafts’ profession, according to BreakingAC.

Both women were freed Thursday after prosecutors agreed to pretrial release, subject to court check-ins every other week.

They were ordered to maintain employment and prohibited from contacting each other or the alleged victim.