16-08-2021

Detroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casino

A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates credit.

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Detroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casino Party

High school senior wins lottery scratch-off game days before graduation.

June 19, 2012 — -- A Detroit man is facing 15 months in prison after he was able to withdraw unlimited ATM cash from his Bank of America account that only held a few dollars.

Ronald Page, 55, took advantage of a bank mistake that placed his account into a 'pay all' status that allowed him to withdraw unlimited overdrafts, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit said. And withdraw he allegedly did: From August 1 to 18 in 2009, Page hit the ATMs, mostly at casinos, and cashiers --for $1,543,104.

Page, a retired worker after 30 years at General Motors, had maintained an average balance of about $100 in his account from Dec. 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009, according to his indictment.

Page pled guilty on March 7 to theft of bank funds. His sentencing will take place on June 27.

Page could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Richard Morgan, did not immediately return a request for comment.

A spokeswoman for Bank of America provided a statement to ABC News saying, 'We can't provide specifics in regards to Mr. Page's account as it is proprietary and because his case is still in the courts, we are unable to comment.'

Court papers state that Page was a frequent gambler at casinos in the Detroit area and Las Vegas from January 2009 to February 2010.

Between February 2009 and August 2009, his Bank of America account was used primarily for gambling, a court document states, in which he would deposit his winnings and withdraw amounts from $2,000 to $50,000.

TakesDetroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casino

Then on August 1, because of the bank error, he withdrew $312,000 from ATMs at Greektown Casino in Detroit, then $51,727 the same day from MGM Grand Casino. Finally, on August 18, Bank of America placed a hold on his account when it was overdrawn by over $1.5 million, his indictment states.

But the party came to an end August 18, when his attempt to withdraw $52,000 from his account at Greektown Casino was denied. He also went to the Motor City Casino on August 19 and attempted to withdraw $51,400 from his account but was again denied.

Detroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casino Videos

Bank of America advised him on August 21, 2009 that his account was overdrawn by over $1.5 million and demanded immediate repayment. Page has not repaid Bank of America.

Detroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casinos

The U.S. Attorney's Office recommended 15 months in prison for Page and that the court order restitution to Bank of America for the $1,543,104.

'In this case, the bank's glitch allowed the defendant to lose a significant amount of money that was not even his in the first place,' states the U.S. Attorney's sentencing memorandum, filed on June 11. 'The fact that defendant acted on an impulse does not minimize the seriousness of his conduct and the need for a custodial sentence.'

They also recommended Page be prohibited from gambling activity, lotteries, or wagering of any kind and from entering the premises of any gambling casinos, horse tracks, bingo parlors, or dog races or wherever gambling activity is conducted.

Prosecutors noted that Page is not a violent offender and his age and background indicate a low risk of committing violent crimes in the future.

Detroit Man Bank Teller Takes Money Spends At Casino Video

'If his gambling addiction is not addressed, he is very likely to cause further financial hardship to himself and his family,' the memorandum states.

In a story that would be right at home in a crime-thriller, a Detroit man was arrested after authorities say he donned multiple disguises to defraud MGM Grand Casino patrons out of tens of thousands of dollars.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan filed charges this week against John Christopher Colletti, 55, alleging multiple crimes including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and fraud.

The criminal complaint, courtesy of WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit, details an FBI investigation into Colletti’s alleged activities. The extensive document describes how he purportedly targeted casino VIP guests, purchasing their personally identifiable information online and creating driver’s licenses in their names.

The complaint says he then would dress in “elaborate disguises, including full prosthetic facemasks” to fraudulently withdraw thousands of dollars from victims’ bank accounts using e-checks at Global Payment kiosks (GPKs). Colletti’s disguises reportedly at times also included surgical masks, hats, and glasses.

According to the complaint, Colletti was behind at least 10 cases of identity theft at the MGM Grand Casino Detroit between the dates of April 26, 2019 and May 27, 2019, resulting in a total loss of $98,840. In one such alleged incident on May 23, 2019, investigators observed Colletti make 15 separate $2,000 GPK transactions at various locations inside the casino.

Authorities allege for each transaction Colletti would insert the fraudulent driver’s license into the machine, and enter the last 4 digits of the victims’ Social Security number (which he had apparently written down on a piece of paper he was seen looking at on security cameras.) The reason for the small transactions over multiple machines was to get around the casino’s reporting requirements that kick in when a large amount of money is withdrawn in a single transaction, the complaint surmised.

WXYZ Detroit reported Colletti was in possession of 83 driver’s licenses, 14 insurance cards in various names, six open water driver certification cards, two Binghamton University staff ID cards, and 19 casino players cards.

When he was arrested on March 12 at the Prairie Band Casino and Resort in Kansas, he was allegedly asked by casino security personnel to use a cashier’s cage to collect more than $20,000 in cash withdrawals, which would have required his Social Security number.

According to published reports, Colletti ducked into a bathroom and ditched his elderly man costume, complete with straw hat and mobility walker, before exiting the casino. After he was soon thereafter found and arrested, casino security found parts of his costume in the bathroom along with $11,000 in cash, according to reports.