Dallas Man Sentenced To 18 Months’ Imprisonment For Money Laundering At Mohegan Sun Casino

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Mark Heltzel, age 53, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 4, 2017, by Senior United States District Court Judge A. Richard Caputo to 18 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Heltzel pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy in December 2016. Heltzel conspired with Rochelle Poszeluznyj, age 39, of Kingston, and Robert Pellegrini, age 51, of Mountain Top, to defraud the Mohegan Sun Casino by engaging in a money laundering scheme involving the use of stolen names and PINs (personal identification numbers) that were tied to players’ loyalty club cards. While employed as a cocktail waitress at the casino, Poszeluznyj had access to the names and PINs of casino players as she served them beverages. Poszeluznyj stole the names and PINs of those players and provided them to Pellegrini, who then used the stolen information to create duplicate player club cards. Pellegrini then loaded the duplicate cards with “free play” credits and provided them to Heltzel to gamble with, primarily at poker slot machines. The scheme began in May 2014 and continued to April 2015, netting the defendants winnings of approximately $422,147.

Robert Pellegrini was previously sentenced by Judge Caputo to 32 months’ imprisonment. A sentencing date for Poszeluznyj is pending.

Senior Judge Caputo also ordered that Heltzel be supervised by a probation officer for one year following his release from prison and to pay restitution in the amount of $420,147.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski prosecuted the case.

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