Michigan casino employee released on $1 million bail after stealing $700,000 from workplace
FOUR WINDS, MICHIGAN A former cashier at a Hartford casino appeared in court last week on graft charges. She is said to have stolen $700,000 from the gaming area.
According to Michigan TV station WOOD, the missing loot has yet to be found.
The suspect, Danika Young, 38, apologized to Van Buren County Judge Arthur H. Clarke during her arraignment Wednesday.
"I'm very sorry for what happened. "This is my first charge, sir," Young told the court.
The money was stolen on July 30. She claimed someone called her and told her to take the money to a location in Gary, Indiana.
"She counted out $700,000, put it in a bag and left the casino," a police officer testified during a July 31 probable cause hearing.
When she arrived in Gary, she found the unknown man and handed over the cash.
After authorities were notified, Pokagon Tribal Police investigated the theft.
Young was later arrested in Gary. She was extradited to Michigan.
She was being held Wednesday at the Van Buren County Jail. She was accused of embezzling $100,000 or more from an employee, WOOD reported.
If convicted of that charge, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
Online jail records show her bail was set at $1 million and she remained in custody this weekend.
Connect to the region
During Wednesday's arraignment, a public defender argued that she was being released on her own recognizance because of her ties to the community. Defense attorneys revealed that she also had no criminal background.
Young has worked at Four Winds for 16 years and is a mother of one. She also has relatives in the area.
"My request is very simple," Clark said in rejecting the public defender's request.
The $700,000 has yet to be found. ... My concern is, if I release you and the $700,000 shows up and you disappear somewhere, I'll never see you again," Clark explained, according to WOOD.
Young is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Responsible work
Yang's position at the casino gave her access to large sums of money.
The official testified at the July 31 hearing that Young had "millions of dollars (for her responsibility)."
Four Winds Hartford Casino is located in Hartford, Michigan. It is located about 80 miles south of Grand Rapids.
The playground is one of four owned and operated by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
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Source: www.casino.org
