U.S. Virgin Islands Casino Commission employee convicted of corruption
A U.S. Virgin Islands Casino Commission employee whose job was to advise on responsible gambling was sentenced to 44 months in prison on Tuesday for embezzling commission funds.
Stephanie Barnes, 64, was hired as a contractor by commission chairwoman Violet Anne Golden in 2015 to become the regulator's first "certified gambling expert," although she No experience in this field. Barnes and Golden then came to town with the commission and splurged on expensive entertainment and clothing, according to prosecutors.
This included chartering a plane to the St. Kitts Music Festival and purchasing a VIP pass for the occasion. The couple traveled to casinos for conferences, enjoyed "luxury hotel stays" and expensive meals, and even booked a trip to Disney World in Florida. They also filmed "Hamilton" on Broadway, according to the court.
The U.S. Virgin Islands casino market is small, with only two licensed casinos: Divi Carina Bay Resort & Casino and Casino at Hotel Caravelle, both on St. Croix. document.
Wasteful Spending
The violations by Barnes and Goldens were revealed in 2018 following an investigation by the Virgin Islands Inspector General, which turned the results over to the FBI. The two were charged on July 11, 2019, and arrested a week later.
Barnes denies charges of conspiring to steal from projects receiving federal funds, obtaining federal property and filing false tax returns. She claims she was innocently caught up in a culture of wasteful consumption instigated by her boss, Golden.
Golden pleaded guilty in January 2020 to embezzling $295,503 in state funds. As a result of a plea agreement, she was sentenced to 24 months in prison and was released in September 2021. When Barnes went on trial that December, Golden was the prosecution's star witness.
$600,000 salary increase
On December 23, 2001, after two days of deliberation, the District Court jury unanimously found Barnes guilty of all three counts.
The tax evasion charges relate to $35,894 in income that Barnes reported to the Internal Revenue Service in 2016, even though she knew she received much more in cash and benefits from the Casino Commission's coffers. Investigators determined that as a result of her agreement with Golden, she received a total of $600,000 in wages and benefits over approximately three years.
Chief District Court Judge Robert Molloy ordered the defendant to pay $247,490 in restitution and serve three years in prison upon completion of his sentence.
Read also:
- Blackjack Casino Advantage: How to Beat the Odds
- Football 101: What is relegation in football?
- Meister's Corvex management acquires 4.4% stake in Entain
- New Jersey online casinos report record monthly profits in November
Source: www.casino.org
