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U.S. NEWS Friday 29 September 2017

Cashier who stole $13 million at work gets 8 years in prison

By JOE MANDAK But Desai told the judge to deposit checks made
Associated Press the casinos weren’t even out to Matthews and to
PITTSBURGH (AP) — open when Mills began make wire transfers to pay
A cashier convicted of stealing the money: Rivers the company’s vendors.
stealing nearly $13 mil- Casino opened in 2009, While she did that, she also
lion from the monuments and The Meadows casino moved money from com-
and engraving firm where opened in 2007. pany accounts into her
she worked has been sen- “This theft didn’t start with own bank accounts, then
tenced to just over eight gambling,” Desai said. “This covered up the thefts by
years in prison. theft started with greed.” forging bank statements
Cynthia Mills, who’s 56 Mills’ original plea deal and creating fake invoic-
years old, took the money called for 7 1/2 years in es, Desai said.
from Matthews Interna- prison, but Desai held out Mills’ now-estranged hus-
tional Corp. from 1999 to for more when prosecutors band, Gary Mills, has been
2015. She pleaded guilty in learned just days before charged with filing false
March to mail fraud, wire her originally scheduled joint income tax returns for
fraud, tax evasion and sentencing last month that 2012, 2013 and 2014.
money laundering. she had hidden 14 pieces Prosecutors contend the
The case is the largest em- of jewelry and two Louis tax returns failed to ac-
bezzlement ever prosecut- Vuitton handbags instead count for money his wife
ed in the 25 counties com- of forfeiting them. stole during those years.
prising the Western District Mills told the judge, “I stand But Gary Mills’ attorney said
of Pennsylvania, Assistant before you a broken wom- he didn’t know his wife was
U.S. Attorney Shardul Desai an.” stealing from Matthews
told the judge. Investiga- She then blamed her because she was funneling
tors were unable to find crimes on being “unappre- Cynthia Mills, front, and her attorney Phil DiLucente, enter the some money through her
bank records before 1999 ciated daily by my superi- federal courthouse Thursday Sept. 28, 2017, in Pittsburgh for father’s bank account to
to determine whether Mills ors” at Matthews. Mills’ sentencing. Mills pleaded guilty in March to mail fraud, hide the thefts.
wire fraud, tax evasion and money laundering for taking nearly
stole even more money A company representative $13 million from Matthews International Corp. from 1999 to 2015. She also showed her hus-
since she started working didn’t address the court, She was the company’s cashier. band hundreds of gam-
at the Pittsburgh-based but Desai argued Mills was (Nate Guidry/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP) bling winning casino re-
company in 1981, Desai fairly compensated and ceipts making it appear
said. was rewarded with raises portant position of trust. deceive them,” Desai said. she legally won a signifi-
Mills’ attorney, Phil DiLu- and promotions to an im- “She utilized that trust to As cashier, Mills’ job was cant amount of money.q
cente, told the judge the San Diego increases homeless citations amid outbreak
thefts weren’t driven by
greed but by Mills’ addic- By JULIE WATSON day. Those who refuse are that include the power- less who were there have
tion to gambling at the Riv- Associated Press given citations and those washing of streets and in- complied when asked to
ers Casino in Pittsburgh and SAN DIEGO (AP) — who resist further are ar- stallation of hand-washing leave.
The Meadows Racetrack & The city of San Diego is- rested. Police over the past stations, Wahl said. But if they don’t, people will
Casino in nearby Washing- sued citations and cleared two weeks have been is- San Diego County is bat- be cited. This is about sav-
ton County, where he said a downtown street where suing about 50 citations a tling an epidemic of hepa- ing lives.”
the bulk of the money was hundreds of homeless peo- week — up from 30 a week titis A, a contagious liver The region’s homeless
lost. ple regularly camp during before the crackdown, disease that has killed 17 population, which often
As part of Mills’ plea deal, ongoing efforts to sanitize Wahl said. people and infected 461 lacks adequate access to
which included the eight- neighborhoods to control He said he did not have people, including more restrooms or showers, has
year, four-month sentence the spread of hepatitis A. figures on how many have than 300 who had to be been hit the hardest since
imposed Thursday, Mills Officers are asking home- been arrested. Some, he hospitalized. the outbreak started last
agreed to forfeit three less people to leave the said, have been taken to “The problem is we’re not November.
homes, a yacht, two other street and nearby blocks mental health services if yet on top of this outbreak, It was unclear where the
boats, at least eight cars where tarps and tents have they showed signs of dis- and we cannot have peo- homeless people who were
and other items including regularly lined sidewalks tress. ple going back in and re- along the downtown street
jewelry and expensive de- and an area near a free- The crackdown was neces- infecting areas we’ve just have gone. Many suspect-
signer handbags bought way onramp, police Lt. sary to increase the effec- cleaned,” Wahl said. “The ed they scattered to other
with the stolen money. Scott Wahl said Wednes- tiveness of cleaning efforts vast majority of the home- parts of the city. q