Former casino employee found guilty of embezzling $84,000

A former employee of Gun Lake Casino, owned and operated by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $84,000 from the tribal casino. Jordan Lewis Clark, who worked as a floor machine attendant, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Michigan on charges related to theft from an “Indian Tribal Organization.”

Federal prosecutors alleged that Clark repeatedly stole from the casino by pocketing money from “cash out machines” that malfunctioned and became disabled. Clark admitted to this wrongdoing in his plea agreement, acknowledging that he stole the money between September 2021 and November 2022. He disclosed that part of his job was to address jams in the cash machines, and during this process, he would steal cash from them. Clark confessed to committing this theft on at least 32 separate occasions.

As part of his plea deal, Clark is required by law to make full restitution of the stolen money to Gun Lake Casino. He also faces a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the maximum penalty for theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.

Gun Lake Casino, situated about 20 miles south of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a tribal gaming facility featuring over 2,500 slot machines, nearly 50 table games, and a sportsbook. The casino recently underwent a significant $100 million expansion in 2021, with plans for a $300 million expansion project that includes the construction of a 252-room hotel, a 32,000-square-foot indoor pool complex, a spa, and new dining and entertainment options.

In terms of 2022 tribal gaming revenue, the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians ranked fourth among Michigan’s federally recognized tribes holding Class III gaming compacts, with Gun Lake Casino reporting gross gaming revenue of approximately $213.6 million.

Original story by: Casino.org