A woman from America has been convicted of a single count of federal wire fraud for misusing funds for her personal gambling excursions. Though she initially attempted to dispute the allegations, she eventually opted to accept a plea agreement.
Facing conviction, Cheryl Sullivan, 69, was found to have defrauded Woonsocket, redirecting $49,156 for her numerous visits to the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Massachusetts. Sullivan utilized the association’s debit card for a series of 58 withdrawals from January through November 2019, according to data records.
Later investigations brought to light that Sullivan had been driven to use the association’s debit card as her personal one was not accepted by the casino’s ATM. The frequency of her reliance on the association’s card increased over time, utilizing the funds for an assortment of charges at Plainridge Park.
Sullivan Concedes to a Guilty Plea in June
Sullivan was taken into custody in 2022 and faced a series of five counts of wire fraud in court. As noted earlier, she initially asserted her innocence and only assented to a plea agreement in June of the current year.
Subsequently, Sullivan managed to reimburse approximately half of the funds she had taken. Given her hitherto unblemished criminal record, and this repayment, the court agreed to a less stringent judgment. As part of this ruling, Sullivan will be required to serve a probationary period, successfully completing which would free her from any additional punitive measures.
To provide context, Sullivan was previously chair of the Dedham board of tax assessors in Massachusetts.
The establishment frequented by Sullivan, the Plainridge Park Casino, is a combined casino and horse racing facility, owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and managed by Penn Entertainment. It also holds the distinction of being one of only three full-service casinos in Massachusetts.
The Property Recently Faced Monetary Penalties
At the start of this year, Massachusetts’ gambling regulator, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, imposed fines on three casinos due to unauthorized wagering activities. These included the previously mentioned Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor. The first two venues were charged $20,000 each, while the latter venue was fined a relatively lower $10,000.
In August, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced a comprehensive reconfiguration of the state’s privacy regulations. Intent on safeguarding consumers, the commission confined the ways in which sports betting operators can manage and use personal user data.
As a concrete illustration of this, sportsbooks are now required to obtain specific approval before leveraging customer data for promotional activities.
