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Rolling the dice -- and losing big time
When Pennsylvania first rolled the dice and entered a new era of legalized gambling, there were a few ripples of dissent, those who said all those slot machines would take a toll.
Lives would be ruined. Businesses would suffer. Gambling addictions would rise. The cost to society would be measurable.
In some instances, the one-armed bandits would spawn two-armed bandits.
Meet Carol Ackley.
Ackley was a longtime employee of the Ridley School District, where she routinely handled retired teachers’ health insurance checks.
She also was something else. According to her lawyer, Ackley was a gambling addict.
She was not in a slots parlor Thursday. She was in a Delaware County courtroom, where she admitted to stealing more than a half-million dollars from those school district accounts.
And she says she dumped all of it into casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and right here at the new Harrah’s in Chester.
Ackley made $39,000 a year as a Ridley School District payroll coordinator. The total amount she is charged with skimming from the district comes to $573,792.
“She gambled every penny away,” said her defense attorney Kevin Wray.
Amazingly, Ackley was able to perpetrate this scam for six years, routinely fooling even auditors who found nothing wrong with the district’s books.
The district says about 60 or 70 retirees were victimized. Their insurance company will cover the losses.
Yes, there is unquestionably a down side to more legalized gambling.
Carol Ackley rolled the dice. And she lost big time. It’s likely people’s confidence in Ridley’s bookkeeping operation also will take a hit.
She won’t be the last to go down this road. The county has seen a rash of these kinds of white-collar rip-offs. Don’t be surprised to learn gambling played a role in them as well.
Oh, and this just in: The New Jersey Assembly approved a bill that would allow state voters to decide if they want Atlantic City casinos to be able to offer sports betting.
Somewhere, some poor soul just like Carol Ackley is greedily rubbing his or her hands together, with dreams of big wins dancing in their heads.
Unfortunately, those dreams all too often turn into nighmares.
Lives would be ruined. Businesses would suffer. Gambling addictions would rise. The cost to society would be measurable.
In some instances, the one-armed bandits would spawn two-armed bandits.
Meet Carol Ackley.
Ackley was a longtime employee of the Ridley School District, where she routinely handled retired teachers’ health insurance checks.
She also was something else. According to her lawyer, Ackley was a gambling addict.
She was not in a slots parlor Thursday. She was in a Delaware County courtroom, where she admitted to stealing more than a half-million dollars from those school district accounts.
And she says she dumped all of it into casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and right here at the new Harrah’s in Chester.
Ackley made $39,000 a year as a Ridley School District payroll coordinator. The total amount she is charged with skimming from the district comes to $573,792.
“She gambled every penny away,” said her defense attorney Kevin Wray.
Amazingly, Ackley was able to perpetrate this scam for six years, routinely fooling even auditors who found nothing wrong with the district’s books.
The district says about 60 or 70 retirees were victimized. Their insurance company will cover the losses.
Yes, there is unquestionably a down side to more legalized gambling.
Carol Ackley rolled the dice. And she lost big time. It’s likely people’s confidence in Ridley’s bookkeeping operation also will take a hit.
She won’t be the last to go down this road. The county has seen a rash of these kinds of white-collar rip-offs. Don’t be surprised to learn gambling played a role in them as well.
Oh, and this just in: The New Jersey Assembly approved a bill that would allow state voters to decide if they want Atlantic City casinos to be able to offer sports betting.
Somewhere, some poor soul just like Carol Ackley is greedily rubbing his or her hands together, with dreams of big wins dancing in their heads.
Unfortunately, those dreams all too often turn into nighmares.
posted by Heron's Nest at
7:20 AM
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