MA Woman Sentenced to Probation for Appropriating $50,000 for Casino Trips

An American woman was sentenced on a single count of federal wire fraud for appropriating money to fund personal gambling trips. At first, the woman had tried to deny the accusations but she eventually agreed to a plea deal.

Cheryl Sullivan, 69, was found guilty of defrauding Woonsocket out of $49,156 and spending the money on multiple gambling trips to Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Massachusetts. Data shows that Sullivan used the association’s debit card to make a total of 58 withdrawals between January and November 2019.

It was later revealed that the woman first resorted to using the association’s debit card because the ATM at the venue wouldn’t accept her own card. She ended up using the association’s card a lot more, using the money for a variety of expenses at Plainridge Park.

Sullivan Accepted a Guilty Plea in June

The woman was arrested in 2022 and appeared in court on five counts of wire fraud. As mentioned, Sullivan initially pleaded not guilty to the charges and didn’t accept a plea deal until June this year.

Sullivan eventually paid back around half of the money she owed. Because of this and her clean criminal record, the court agreed to not hand her a severe sentence. Instead, Sullivan will have to complete a probationary period and if she does, she will not have to deal with any other penalties.

For reference, the woman is a former chair of the Dedham board of tax assessors in Massachusetts.

The venue she visited, Plainridge Park Casino, is a casino and horse racing venue owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn Entertainment. It is also one of Massachusetts’ only three full-service casinos.

The Property Was Recently Fined

Earlier this year, Massachusetts’ gambling regulator, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, issued fines to three casinos over unauthorized wagers. This included the aforementioned Plainridge Park Casino, as well as MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. The former two had to pay $20,000 while the latter was only forced to pay $10,000.

In August, the MGC unveiled an overhaul of the state’s privacy regulations. Seeking to protect consumers, the commission restricted the ways sports betting operators can use and handle personal customer data.

For example, sportsbooks now need to secure special approval before using customer data to conduct marketing activities.