A federal judge in Grand Rapids decided Cook’s fate on Wednesday, Jan. 3. It was the judge’s decision to include the supervised release time once he is released from prison.
“Mr. Cook’s behavior was very out of character for him and he maintains that it will never happen again,” defense attorney Jessica E. LaFond wrote in the sentencing memorandum.
Cook, who lives in Hopkins, had a variety of responsibilities at the casino. He was frequently called to clear money out of jammed machines, which is how he was able to retrieve the funds he illegally took.
According to court documents, he used a credit card to pry open the machine and to free up the jammed bills.
Cook’s actions took place over at least 32 different incidents. After he retrieved the money, he “made correspondingly large cash deposits into his Lake Michigan Credit Union bank account.” He also used the money to buy a Chevrolet pickup truck.
It wasn’t until the casino conducted an internal audit and reviewed security footage that they became aware of an issue. From there, the case was handled by the Gun Lake Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“This case reflects my office’s strong commitment to working in partnership with tribal leadership and law enforcement to prosecute crimes that occur on tribal lands, including theft from tribal businesses,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, in a news release. “Together, we will hold criminals accountable for their wrongdoing.
