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Two people sentenced to prison for bilking casino

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Two people have been sentenced to federal prison for making phony tickets they used to steal $101,381 from the Northern Quest casino.

The scheme involved simultaneously inserting two or more identical counterfeit tickets into payout machines, confusing computer-controlled payment systems, court documents said.

Wade Hendricksen, 19, and neighbor Renee Lehmann, 41, ultimately were caught on video tape by casino security cameras, prompting an investigation by the Washington State Gambling Commission and Kalispel tribal security officials.

They were arrested Oct. 15, and a federal grand jury later indicted each on four felony counts of theft from a tribal gaming establishment. Both pleaded guilty in March to a single count, with the other charges dismissed as part of plea bargains.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Edward Shea said the sophisticated crime demanded jail time.



"You're a mother, a wife and a thief," Shea told Lehmann. "Harsh words, but that's what you are."

Lehman damaged her image as a role model for her two sons, ages 8 and 11, the judge said.

"I wronged them, and I have wronged the law," Lehmann told the judge. "I wouldn't do it again."

Authorities said the pair used phony tickets that Hendricksen made on a scanner and computer at Lehmann's home to collect winnings at the suburban Airway Heights casino between April and October 2003.

Lehmann told the court that she and Hendricksen had ended their scheme before they were identified and arrested.

Lehmann was sentenced to one month in prison, followed by five months of home confinement. Hendricksen, a student at Spokane Falls Community College, must serve two months in a federal prison, followed by four months of confinement at a halfway house, where he will be allowed to attend school.

The judge ordered mental health exams for both defendants and said they must stay out of gambling establishments during three years of supervised release. They also must make full restitution.

Defense attorney Christian Phelps said Hendricksen's mother died when he was 15, and his father's job requires extensive travel.

For the past four years, Hendrickson has spent significant time with Lehmann, his neighbor, Phelps said.

A federal probation officer told the court that Hendricksen and Lehmann had engaged in "an unhealthy relationship," and should stay away from each other.

"I don't know how I got into this," Hendricksen told the court, adding he was "sorry about what I've done to Ms. Lehmann."

"Well," Shea said. "Ms. Lehmann is 41 years old, and you're 19."

Phelps told the court his client realizes he engaged in an activity that was "industrial-strength stupid."

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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesmanreview.com