MGM Springfield Ex-Slots Worker Facing Charges For Allegedly Stealing $22,000 From Employer, Forging Supervisor’s Signature

Posted on: July 30, 2019, 05:13h. 

Last updated on: July 30, 2019, 05:13h.

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A man previously employed by the MGM Springfield was indicted by the Massachusetts attorney general for allegedly pilfering $22,000 from the casino and forging his boss’s signature on company documents.

MGM Springfield where a former slots tech allegedly stole $22,000. (Image: USA Today)

Salvador Montalvo Jr., 54, was formerly a slot machine technician at the first integrated resort in Massachusetts. Attorney General Maura Healey’s office indicted Montalvo, a resident of West Springfield, Mass., on charges of larceny of property with a value of more than $1,200 and false entries into a corporate ledger.

The investigation was conducted by the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit stationed at the gaming property and the Gaming Enforcement Division (GED), which the attorney general oversees.

The Attorney General’s Gaming Enforcement Division (GED) ensures proper investigation and prosecution of illegal gaming related activity in Massachusetts,” according to the commonwealth’s government web site. “GED enforces all aspects of the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 through extensive community relations with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Massachusetts State Police, and local police departments and federal law enforcement agencies.”

The Expanded Gaming Act was signed into law in 2011, setting the stage for casino gaming in Massachusetts. The state is currently home to three gaming properties – Plainridge Park Casino (PPC), a slots-only venue, MGM Springfield, and Encore Boston Harbor.

Started Immediately

MGM Springfield opened in August 2018 and given the timeline of Montalvo’s alleged offenses, it appears he was among the casino’s original staffers.

“Authorities say that between August 2018 and January 2019, Montalvo withdrew $23,940 from the casino cashier to perform tests on various slot machines,” reports The Boston Herald.

Of that nearly $24,000 Montalvo took the from the cashier to test slots, he returned less than $2,000, keeping the remaining $22,000 and depositing those proceeds in his personal bank account.

Twenty-two thousand dollars is a relatively small figure for a casino, but the former slot worker’s alleged misdeeds came against the backdrop of MGM Springfield struggling to meet initial gross gaming revenue (GGR) targets.

The gaming property notched June GGR of $19.95 million, a 10.5 percent decline from May, making June the venue’s second-worst full month of business. January 2019 was the worst with GGR of $19.7 million. With just a few weeks before its first anniversary, it appears unlikely MGM Springfield will meet its goal of GGR of $400 million in the first year.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty

In a statement emailed to Casino.org by Healey’s office, the attorney general is clear to point out that the charges brought against Montalvo are allegations and that he’s innocent until proven guilty. He’ll be arraigned at a late date in a Hampden County Superior Court.

In Massachusetts, larceny of property over $1,200 is a felony and convicted defendants can face fines of up to $25,000, jail time of not more than two years or a prison sentence of not more than five years.

Falsifying a corporate ledger is viewed as forgery in the commonwealth and prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intended to defraud or harm a victim. Judges can punish offenders with fines and jail time for forgery with the stiffest sentences carrying up to five years in prison.