City Clerk Steals $167,000 to Fuel Gambling Addiction

Leonard receives probation, fines
By Staff reports
Moose Lake Star-Gazette


On Friday, Mary Angela Leonard, former clerk of the city of Willow River charged with embezzling over $167,000 from the city, was sentenced to 21 months in the prison. Her prison time was stayed for 20 years probation on the condition that she spends 30 days in county jail with additional restitution to be made to the City of Willow River. Judge James T. Reuter presided over the trial.

Leonard wrote and forged checks under the mayor’s name from the City of Willow River during May of 2009 to August of 2012. She then cashed the checks and logged checks onto the computer under a legitimate account using the money to obtain property or services.

The prosecuting attorney requested a statement be made on behalf of the City of Willow River. Judge Reuter granted the request.

The statement, written by Willow River City Councilman Chris Ketchmark, was read as follows by the attorney, “Our close knit, small community of 410 suffered a devastating loss and betrayal at the hands of the defendant. A financial loss in excess of $167,000 in a town our size is quite substantial.

This loss has delayed or prevented important projects and needs in our community. These include but are not limited to proper maintenance and repairs of our streets, repairing our sewer ponds, repairing our water lift station and purchasing equipment to do such repairs, maintenance and snow removal.

The money this defendant admits to stealing from our city was not there when we needed it for infrastructure, let alone when the flood of 2012 ravaged citizens, homes and businesses there. This was money contributed by every hard-working, honest, tax paying citizen of our county.

“A betrayal and crime of this magnitude has had an emotional and psychological impact on the citizens of Willow River and those of us involved in its government. We are asked multiple times per week about how and why this crime happened. Those are questions only one person can answer. All we can tell the people we represent is that we’re doing our best to see that the defendant pays for her crimes and that it never happens again. As Councilmen, we are left to apologize and carry the burden of a crime we had no idea was happening and would never have guessed would happen by someone we trusted. Every financial decision we make as a council will now be second guessed and scrutinized because of something one defendant did. Our citizens were left feeling suspicious and untrusting of their government, again because of one person’s actions. At times it has felt like citizens were more upset at their government than the actions and crimes of the defendant.

"What outcome would we as a council and citizens of Willow River like to see in this case? Due to the repeated nature and length of time over which the thefts took place, we would like to see jail time and restitution in the maximum amount possible. As I stated, over 400 people have been affected by these crimes, not a nebulous “entity” but the City of Willow River. Every man, woman, and child in our town was stolen from and harmed by this defendant.

"Your Honor, I am a compassionate and reasonable human being. That being said, I feel very strongly that this defendant be punished to the maximum extent allowed. Gambling addiction is a disease, stealing multiple times over a period of years to support this disease, to enable this addiction is unacceptable. Stealing is not a disease. Theft is not a disease. Betraying your fellow citizens and those that hired you is not a disease. The first instance of stealing was a mistake, after that it was a calculated choice. Thank you. Dr. Chris Ketchmark.”

Leonard’s attorney stated that Leonard was looking forward to this day so she could express herself.

Mary Leonard was then allowed to make a statement, “I just want to say how sorry I am. I stole a great deal of money from people I care about and put a burden on my family. I am glad today is here and I am in recovery and can start to make amends.”

Judge Reuter stated to Leonard, “We see this from time to time especially in this community where there are lots of opportunities with the casinos. People go and win and that seems to put a hook in them and each time there is an expectation to win. It becomes an addiction. The tragedy here is that there are victims, people in the government. People start to suspect those in government and they have to respond to questions of how and why. This has an impact on a small community and the people of Willow River. This case has impacted their impressions on people in government. We can hold people accountable. The city thinks one year in county jail is acceptable.

“It is concerning to me that in 2004, you went through the program for gambling addiction and you are aware of your gambling problem. But you are a lady with no track record, clean as a whistle.

What is the right thing to do? I think 20 years of probation to insure nothing like this ever happens again is rational. You have no criminal record. The addiction was controlling your behavior, but this is not to dismiss you.”

The maximum fine of $30,000 was waived with Judge Reuter adding that this would create undue hardship and the minimum fine of $50 was imposed. Judge Reuter added that $100,000 was paid out from insurance to the City of Willow River. He also stated, “Regular payments toward restitution will be made (to pay the approximate balance of $65,000) and that funds in Leonard’s pension account will be applied to restitution as well.”

Other conditions imposed are that Leonard comply with recommended gambling programs and attend regular meeting regarding her addiction. Leonard is not to gamble, enter any establishment that allows gambling and remain law-biding. Judge Reuter added, “If you screw up, you will go back to jail.”

Leonard will begin her jail time on August 19.

http://www.mlstargazette.com/story/2013/08/15/news/leonard-receives-probation-fines/701.html


Willow River clerk charged with $167k theft from city

Leonard said all of the money she took went to Grand Casino Hinckley or the Black Bear Casino in Carlton County or to pay bills, with most going to the Hinckley casino. She denied having any money left.


http://www.presspubs.com/pine_city/news/article_fac642a4-9263-11e2-9718-0019bb2963f4.html

Oxford County

Recount Considered as Oxford County Casino Wins by a Hair

The gubernatorial vote was not the only nail-biter in this week's state elections. Question 1--the proposal to build a casino resort in western Maine--won approval by a margin of barely one percent. That's about 6,500 votes separating the winners from the losers. The vote was so close, in fact, that opponents say they might ask the state to look again at the numbers.

"This is one of the closest votes that we've seen, at least in my memory in the state of Maine, so I think that we owe it ourselves and also to Maine voters to explore the possibilities of a recount," says Dan Cashman, spokesman for Citizens Against the Oxford Casino, a coalition representing a number of interests, including Maine's Hollywood Slots in Bangor, a combined harness racing and slot machine facility, known as a "racino."

If a recount doesn't happen, Cashman says there are other plans to try to alter the proposal, which he believes is unfair to Maine's existing gambling industry.

"If it does go forward, looking at working with the Legislature to make this a fair bill, because otherwise it just sends a poor message to people from out-of-state and people in-state, that certain industries are not welcome to do business here and those that are here will be treated differently," Cashman says.

Citizens Against the Oxford Casino complain that the proposed gambling and hotel complex would create a monopoly, since it would be the only place in the state licensed to allow table gaming. They also point out that the bill gives the Oxford casino a lower tax rate than the Bangor racino, while another provision would not allow other gaming operations within a 100 mile radius.

"In any other industry this wouldn't make any sense, to have two facilities, and one of them is given a better set of rules to operate with than the other one," Cashman says.

Question 1's other main opponent is also considering the possibilty of a recount. "We're going to wait and see what the final numbers are before we make that decision--we've got five days to make that decision," says long-time anti-gambling advocate Dennis Bailey, who heads up Casinos No!

Bailey says casinos are accompanied by damaging social and economic effects for their host communities. If a recount is not pursued, Bailey says the group may be challenging the proposal in other ways. "We've always felt that the way the law is written raises some, perhaps, legal issues, constitutional issues, that we may want to examine as well."

Bailey, who helped defeat casino proposals in Oxford in 2008 and in Sanford in 2003, admits that the Question 1 proponents "got their act together" this time. They also outspent opponents by a margin of about ten-to-one, shelling out more than $3 million promoting the casino.

Both Dennis Bailey and Dan Cashman say one factor, especially, was instrumental in persuading Mainers to vote in favor of the Oxford County casino. "The economy and jobs was obviously a key issue," Bailey says.

"One of the major points that the "Yes" side bought forward was jobs, and of course everybody wants jobs," Cashman agrees.

"I say vote Yes for the Casino, I need the job," says Oxford County resident Winnie Bryce, who says she has to work two jobs--both of them outside her home town of Norway--to make ends meet. "I work at Walmart and I work at a place in Lewiston. So I work two jobs and I can't get two jobs in this area at all," Bryce says. "In the last 20 years I've seen at least eight places go down. Countless jobs leave, but none come in."

Another local resident, Dustin Kendall, also voted Yes on 1. In an area with a jobless rate of well over 10 percent, he says people are desperate for work. "There's nothing around here. Everything has gone away, with Burlington Homes closing down there's not enough jobs and we need more jobs and we need to bring people here, and if we had thought of another way to do it, I think they would have."

"The people listened to the message that we had about jobs, taxes and tourism. and I think we had a good position on all of those," says Rob Lally of Black Bear Entertainment, the investment group behind the planned casino. "We talked a lot about the good jobs that we'll create in Oxford and the entire state, the millions of dollars in tax revenue that will be generated from this program."

While opponents say a casino would suck money and jobs out of the economy, Rob Lally says the $165 million casino and resort, will support more than 2,700 jobs and bring in more than $60 million in tax revenue. Construction is expected to begin shortly.

Maine barely passes Slot Barn

Filled with false promises of great prosperity, overstated job numbers, wildly exaggerated revenue projection and generously funded by a profitable industry, on their third attempt, voters barely passed the Slot Barn referendum for Oxford, Maine, more an act of desperation than a mandate.

Minimized or ignored is the 40% increase in crime in Bangor since Hollywood Slots opened.



Voters narrowly approve casino in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine

A casino investor said Wednesday that the bleak economy and high unemployment made Mainers more receptive than in the past to a full-blown casino with slot machines and table games.

About 51 percent of voters in Tuesday's election approved Black Bear Entertainment LLC's proposal to build a $165 million, casino and resort in the western Maine town of Oxford. Backers say the casino will support thousands of jobs, pump tens of millions of dollars into the economy and generate more than $60 million in revenue.

Mainers rejected referendums for an eastern Maine casino in 2007 and an Oxford casino in 2008.

"I think what people saw was that voting yes meant we would create jobs - and that would be jobs now, not speculation of jobs down the road," said, Rob Lally, co-owner of Mt. Abram ski resort in Greenwood and one of Black Bear's investors.

Opponents say a casino will drain money and jobs out of the local economy while creating new problems such as increased crime and gambling addiction.

There are also questions about where the casino will be located, who will operate it and whether the law that allows it is constitutional, since it bans other casinos within 100 miles, said Dennis Bailey, executive director of the CasinosNo! anti-casino group.

Furthermore, Bailey questioned whether financing for the project would be available in such a down economy, especially when plans are in the works for other casinos in Biddeford and Lewiston.

"It's still a long shot for a number of reasons," Bailey said. "They may end up putting up a barn full of slot machines, but the idea that Oxford is going to turn into Las Vegas-east is pretty unlikely."

Maine now has one casino, Hollywood Slots in Bangor, which has 1,000 slot machines but no table games.

This year's vote paves the way for the state's first casino with blackjack, craps and other table games, in addition to slot machines. Black Bear Entertainment, which is comprised of a group of Maine business owners, is considering several sites along Route 26 in Oxford, but has not disclosed an exact location.

The referendum wording prohibits any other casino or slot machine facility within 100 miles of the Oxford casino. Tax revenue will go to Maine public schools, universities and community colleges, agricultural fairs, harness racing purses, the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Indian tribes, a dairy farm stabilization fund, the town of Oxford and the county.

Now that the referendum has passed, backers have to choose a casino site, obtain local and state approval and pick a casino operator to run it. Lally expects construction to begin next year and for it to open to the public by the summer of 2012.

The first phase of the project will include a casino, restaurant, bar and cafe, and it will be expanded over five years to include a 200-room hotel, more restaurants, convention space, a lounge and a spa, Lally said.

Black Bear shouldn't feel too proud of itself, Bailey said. Even though backers spent more than $3 million during the campaign, the vote could have gone either way, he said.

"They're now going to have a business that half the voters of Maine don't think is right for the state," Bailey said. "That's not a great foundation to build on."