Gambling Addict Sentenced to 30 Months Prison for $400,000 Theft Blown at Casino

A former credit union manager from Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after being convicted of embezzling nearly $400,000 from her employer and blowing the lot at a local casino.

Patty Lynn Mavrakis, 65, who worked for 15 years at the Valley 1st Community Federal Credit Union in Belle Vernon, engaged in a calculated scheme to steal from the credit union. She later attempted to conceal the theft by setting a fire at her workplace.

Mavrakis, who was identified as a heavy gambler, was found to have lost an amount equivalent to four times her annual salary at the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Pittsburgh. This loss occurred in the months following her embezzlement, highlighting the extent of her gambling problem.

The theft was meticulously planned. On September 5, 2016, a day when the credit union was closed for Labour Day, Mavrakis accessed the safe.

She was familiar with the location of surveillance cameras and attempted to use this knowledge to her advantage by moving an empty banker’s box in front of the open safe to obstruct the camera's view.

Despite her best efforts, a surveillance camera captured a fleeting glimpse of the box as she moved it, which later became a crucial piece of evidence against her.

The following day, Mavrakis arrived early at work and set a fire inside the safe, later claiming to her superiors that the fire had been caused by an electrical spark from the safe's fire alarm.

In an attempt to further cover her tracks, she contacted the credit union’s insurance carrier to file a claim for the cash she falsely reported had been destroyed in the fire. She even submitted a signed proof of loss form, which led to the claim being paid.

The case against Mavrakis was built on a combination of surveillance footage, suspicious activities, and false statements. Her actions not only reflected a breach of trust with her employer but also underscored the destructive nature of gambling addiction.

The court's decision to sentence her to prison reflects the severity of her crimes, which included theft, fraud, and arson.