Illegal Gambling Machine Manufacturer Deceived Retailers Throughout Pennsylvania
A man from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, purportedly responsible for a counterfeiting operation involving skill-gaming machine vouchers throughout northeastern Pennsylvania, was hit with charges last week for felony theft and forgery.
Anthony Diehl, the alleged perpetrator, targeted convenience stores, making use of fake "winning" tickets either in person or through his recruited network of susceptible individuals, often drug addicts. These individuals would typically convert the vouchers into either drugs or part of the ill-gotten "winnings."
The fraudulent network stole more than $20K from various convenience stores and gas stations in multiple counties, according to the prosecution.
Diehl is charged with creating the vouchers himself, using chemicals and printers to change the information and augment the prizes.
Back to the Scene of the Alleged Crime
Diehl was apprehended after he revisited the scene of claimed misdeeds – the Carbon Mini-Mart in Palmerton.
Upon January 28, 2023, a man resembling Diehl cashed two forged vouchers totaling $695 at the store, unaware that the incident had already been reported to the police.
Two days later, Diehl and an accomplice returned to the Carbon Mini-Mart, attempting to present another fraudulent voucher, prompting the store's staff to call the police.
When officers arrived, they found Diehl and the accomplice. The accomplice confessed that Diehl had given him the ticket to cash, and alleged that the store's staff had declined the transaction.
Police investigated Diehl's vehicle and found a printer, a laptop, and other relevant equipment. After examining the laptop, investigators stumbled upon more than 100 fabricated vouchers saved in Microsoft Word files, in addition to the watermarks of several skill game manufacturers.
Google Records
Google search records revealed hundreds of inquiries for businesses in Pennsylvania with gaming terminals.
Investigators succeeded in matching some of the vouchers they found on Diehl's laptop with those fraudulently cashed at various stores around the state.
They also identified nine individuals allegedly involved in the voucher cashing scheme. Some of these persons admitted during interviews that Diehl printed the vouchers and that he was a drug user and dealer, in the view of the prosecution.
The full array of charges against Diehl encompasses corrupt organizations, conspiracy to infringe, forgery, theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, unlawful use of computer, unlawful duplication, possessing instrument of crime with intent, and theft by deception.
He currently enjoys $100K unsecured bail and is scheduled to appear in court on May 31.
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Source: www.casino.org
