Most players visiting a casino dream of hitting a major score. A six-figure jackpot at the slots would certainly make for a memorable night. A Michigan woman, however, is accused of walking away with that kind of cash from a casino in a much different way.
Police allege Danika Young, 38, embezzled $700,000 on July 9 from the Four Winds Casino in Hartford on July 30. She was later arrested in Gary, Indiana, but the cash hasn’t been recovered. As the casino’s cage supervisor, Young oversaw millions of dollars. She offered police an interesting account of what happened.
“Young told investigators that she got a call from a number that she didn’t recognize telling her to bring the money to Gary,” YourErie.com notes. “She met someone in Gary and gave them the money, police said. It’s not clear who the other person is or if police have a lead on them.”
Details on the Alleged Theft
The bizarre story sounds similar to a recent case in Las Vegas. A cashier at the D casino spoke to a man claiming to be the casino’s owner. He asked for $320,000 as an “emergency payment” to the fire department.
The supervisor then delivered $1.2 million in several payments to various locations around Las Vegas. The woman believed she’d been communicating with the owner, meeting with his attorney, and also texting her manager, according to police.
Whether this was a similar ruse or a true “inside job” remains to be seen. Police say Young counted out $700,000 inside the casino and then simply left. Police say she then met someone in Gary and gave away the money. It’s unknown if cops were able to identify the possible other suspect or have any information on this person.
Young remains in jail on a charge of embezzlement by an employee of $100,000 or more. With the money still accounted for, the judge in the case expressed concerns she might not return to court if released and set a high bail of $1 million. She had been with the casino for 16 years and her attorney noted that she had no criminal record.
“I’m very sorry for what happened,” Young told a judge during a hearing on Wednesday.
Was Young the victim of a scheme to bilk the casino or is that $700,000 hidden somewhere? That remains to be seen as investigators continue trying to figure out what happened.
Card Counter Files Suit
In other casino court-related matters, a Georgia man has filed a lawsuit against Ameristar Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado, after he was allegedly detained for card counting. Joseph Shiraef was on a long layover at the Denver International Airport and decided to head to the property on Oct. 19, 2021, to play some blackjack.
As he was leaving Shiraef says he was physically blocked by staff and was told he was being stopped for the “criminal violation of the Colorado fraud statute by counting cards.” However, counting cards isn’t illegal in Colorado. Properties can ask a player to leave or play another game, but that player hasn’t broken any law.
“In Shiraef’s case, he argues that he was detained with ‘no probable cause,’ and his Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures by the government were violated,” the Denver Post reports. “In his complaint, he blames the city of Black Hawk for ‘not training police officers,’ and both the casino and its owner for acts of false imprisonment, negligent training and ‘refusing to cash in his chips.'”
Shiraef says the casino refused to cash in his chips and his car was later blocked by an SUV as he attempted to head back to the airport. He says he was told that counting cards was illegal in Colorado and a warrant could be issued for “fraudulent activity.”
“The lawsuit argues that card counting is a legal activity, and ‘Shiraef did not do anything wrong or illegal to justify being seized, detained, threatened with criminal charges, and having his chip cash out request denied,'” the Post notes.
Along with Ameristar, Shiraef is also suing the casino’s owner, Gaming and Leisure Properties, along with the city of Black Hawk and one of its police officers, and an employee with the state’s Division of Gaming. He’s seeking $3 million – $1.5 million in economic and compensatory damages and another $1.5 million in punitive damages.
Card counting isn’t considered cheating in most jurisdictions and involves a player keeping a running tally of high cards versus low cards that have been played. When the count is in the player’s favor, many counters then raise their wagers with the probability now greater of landing winning hands.
