A 45-year-old woman responsible for one of the largest frauds in history in a Quebec casino has escaped without prison time. The judge noted among the mitigating factors the fact that her life was ruined by a “heavy addiction” to gambling which cost her millions, plunged her into depression and even suicidal thoughts.
Ontarian Yuan Wang went to the Casino du Lac-Leamy, in Gatineau, on August 8, 2018. Equipped with a forged bank draft from the National Bank, she managed to withdraw $545,800 at the counter.
When a casino employee dialed the bank number listed on the false document, an accomplice of the woman assured him over the phone that the draft was valid. She wasn’t.
The casino employee handed over the amount in cash and chips to Yuan Wang. Loto-Québec had just been stolen half a million.
A few days earlier, on August 3, 2018, another Ontarian used the exact same modus operandi, still at the Casino du Lac-Leamy. Daud Srosh, 48, also managed to withdraw $540,000 with a fake bank draft from the National Bank.
This million-dollar fraud which occurred in the space of a week is perhaps the largest in the history of the state-owned company which specializes in games of chance.
Despite the importance of the fraud, which would have merited 6 months to 3 years of detention, according to case law, Judge Rosemarie Millar of the Court of Quebec imposed a suspended sentence on the fraudster, who pleaded guilty.
Wang is also sentenced to three years of probation during which she will not be able to frequent a casino. She will have to repay $125,000 to Loto-Québec.
“At first glance, it is true that this sentence appears lenient,” the judge wrote in her September 8 decision rendered in English. But it is fair according to the magistrate taking into account several mitigating factors, including the fraudster’s significant gambling addiction, her mental health problems and even the absence of a criminal record.
The accused, who pleaded guilty, allegedly lost $3 million in different Canadian casinos over the years. She mortgaged several times the house that her parents, Chinese immigrants, had given her for her wedding.
“Without the generosity of her parents, she would be on the street,” notes the judge. “This gambling addiction has ruined her life,” says the lawyer of the lady, mother of two children.
The judge notes that Daud Srosh, the other fraudster at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, also received a suspended sentence in an Ontario court for his frauds in casinos in Quebec and Ontario. The man also struggling with gambling addiction is said to have lost $4 million over the years.
Loto-Québec: updated practices
Loto-Québec told the court in a letter the impact this $545,000 fraud had on the state-owned company. The reputation of the Société des casinos du Québec has been tarnished by the numerous articles in the media on these historic frauds. Employees also lost their jobs following an internal investigation.
The judge received the letter written by the security manager of the Casino du Lac-Leamy with caution, if the judgment is to be believed.
The Court takes note of the contents of the letter. However, she cannot forget the nature of the gambling industry and the impact that betting offers have on those suffering from gambling addiction.
Excerpt from the decision of Judge Rosemarie Millar
The judge, however, recognizes the extent of the fraud. She rejected the defense suggestion for a conditional discharge. She instead retained a suspended sentence accompanied by several conditions.
Is this penalty severe enough to deter other fraudsters from attacking Quebec casinos?
“Loto-Québec respects the Court’s decision,” the state-owned company said in an email sent to The Press.
“In addition, we have in place control and verification practices, systems and procedures which are constantly reviewed and updated in order to minimize the risks associated with this type of fraud. »
Loto-Québec was not able to say Thursday how much it had been able to recover from the million lost in August 2018 at the Casino du Lac-Leamy.