In a tragic incident of internal embezzlement, a one-time Gun Lake Casino employee has confessed to appropriating over $84,000 illegally from the establishment, which is an asset owned and managed by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians.
Jordan Lewis Clark, who was formerly employed at the Gun Lake Casino located in Michigan confessed to his crime of illicitly obtaining more than $84,000 in liquid cash from the indigenous-owned enterprise. Clark confessed that he seized the money while maintaining machines that dispensed cash but frequently underwent a machine jam.
This March, an indictment was issued against Clark by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Michigan. The indictment centered around numerous federal charges related primarily to embezzlement and theft from an “Indian Tribal Organization.” Prosecutors from the federal side insisted that Clark committed multiple instances of theft from the Gun Lake Casino during his employment phase as a floor machine caretaker. Following his arraignment in May and subsequent release on a $10,000 bail, Clark and his appointed lawyers reached the conclusion that admitting his guilt would serve his interests optimally.
Reflecting this consensus, Clark agreed to a plea agreement in the latter part of the previous month. The settlement was accepted late last Friday by US Magistrate Judge Ray Kent. Clark was found guilty on a single charge of theft from an Indian Tribal Organization.
Concurring with the federal prosecutor’s allegations, Clark confessed to have stolen a sum of at least $84,564 from the Gun Lake Casino. On numerous occasions, Clark admitted to pocketing some of the cash that he was supposed to maintain while the machines suffered clogs.
Within his plea agreement, Clark also admitted to stealing regularly from the tribal casino from approximately September 2021 until November 2022. As the plea deal outlines, clearing the jams in the casino’s ‘cash out machines’ was part of Clark’s job, facilitated by his access to a key card that unlocked the machine. However, before retiring the machine door to its original position, Clark confessed to repeatedly stealing cash from the slot.
Moreover, Clark confessed that he stole cash from the machines on a minimum of 32 distinct instances. As stipulated by the plea deal, Clark is legally obligated to return the entirety of the stolen money to the Gun Lake Casino. Apart from providing full restitution, Clark could be looking at a maximum of five years in prison along with a $250,000 fine.
Located about 20 miles south of Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second most populous city with nearly 200,000 residents, The Gun Lake Casino enjoys an advantageous geography. The casino premises boast over 2,500 slot machines, close to 50 table games, and a sportsbook. Furthermore, having inaugurated in 2011 and witnessing a significant $100 million expansion in 2021, the casino is soon set to feature an in-house hotel. A $300 million expansion project, inaugurated in May 2022, is currently in progress which includes a 252-room hotel, a 32,000-square-foot indoor pool multi-facility complex, a spa, and novel restaurant and bar additions.
Under the category of 2022 tribal gaming revenue, the Gun Lake Casino, owned by the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, secured the fourth rank among Michigan’s federally recognized tribes operating with Class III gaming compacts. It recorded an impressive gross gaming revenue last year to the tune of roughly $213.6 million.
