Casino worker swiped $85K while clearing jams from cash-out machines
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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A former worker at Gun Lake Casino in Allegan County admitted stealing nearly $85,000 while clearing jams from cash-out machines.
Jordan Lewis Cook pleaded guilty Friday, Sept. 8, in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids to theft from an Indian Tribal Organization, a five-year felony.
No sentencing date has been set.
The thefts occurred while he worked at Gun Lake Casino between Sept. 2021 and November 2022.
Part of Cook’s job was to clear jams from cash-out machines on the casino floor. He would use a card key to open the machine, take out cassettes holding various denominations of cash, remove jammed currency and put the bills back into the cassettes, a plea agreement said.
Crinkled or misfed bills would cause jams.
“Specifically, Defendant admits that he stole various denominations of currency from Gun Lake Casino ‘cash out machines’ on at least 32 separate occasions between September 2021 and November 2022,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Lane wrote in the plea agreement.
Cook admitted to taking $84,564, the agreement said. He will be ordered to pay restitution.
As part of the agreement, the government will not oppose Cook’s request for lower scoring of advisory sentencing guidelines based on his acceptance of responsibility. Cook remains free on bond after entering his plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ray Kent.
The government reported having recorded statements Cook gave to Gun Lake Tribal Police, bank records, employment records, a Cash-Out Kiosk audit and casino surveillance footage.
The casino is off U.S. 131 in Allegan County’s Wayland Township and is owned and operated by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.
