Washington State Employee Stole $900K to Fund Gambling Addiction
A former State of Washington employee who planned to embezzle about $900K to support a severe gambling addiction will serve the next 18 months in jail for wire fraud.
Matthew Randall Ping, 48, was charged by the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington of stealing $878,115 while he was employed as a management analyst at the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).Ping held the role of custodian for the department's credit cards.
Using what they called a "sophisticated scheme," federal prosecutors argued that Ping misused his access to the state's credit cards in order to embezzle "at least" $878,115 from the state agency.In June, Ping told police that he had a serious gambling addiction and accepted a plea agreement.
"Your crime was very serious but was driven by severe addiction. Gambling addiction can destroy the life of someone who is otherwise an upstanding citizen,” said US District Judge Tiffany Cartwright.
Ping was given an 18-month prison sentence by Cartwright for wire fraud and filing a fake tax return. A sentence of 33 months in jail was requested by federal prosecutors.
There Was Little Assistance for Criminal Claims
Ping acknowledged using display names that were similar to those of actual OAH business vendors to open a number of payment processing accounts.
According to bank documents, he fraudulently charged hundreds of thousands of dollars to the accounts in 2019 and 2021, then took those funds out to finance his gaming. He visited Las Vegas at least six times, according to the prosecution.
“He used this stolen taxpayer money to fuel his gambling habit, fund at least six trips to Las Vegas, pay off a luxury vehicle loan, and otherwise support his lifestyle. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he failed to report any of the income from his theft on his federal tax returns, which resulted in a tax loss of nearly $250,000,” said Assistant US Attorney Dane Westermeyer in seeking a harsher penalty.
Although "resources for that addiction are very limited," Ping told the court that he had attempted to get treatment for his gambling addiction.
Ping will serve three years of supervised release following his one and a half-year jail sentence. Additionally, Cartwright mandated that he actively engage in "promoting policies and services that would help people who are addicted to gambling."
Ping consented to pay $1,118,362 in full restitution to the IRS, the state, and its insurance.
Resources for Gambling Addiction
Ping contended that there was little assistance available for gambling addictions.
Resources for problem gambling are available in every state that permits gaming, including several that do not. The National Council on Problem Gambling's 1-800-GAMBLER helpline and 1-800-GAMBLER website are excellent places to start for anyone looking for support for oneself, a loved one, or a friend.
The NCPG, the national center for problem gambling, offers round-the-clock, year-round assistance to link problem gamblers or anybody else looking for additional information about the issue with nearby resources. 1-800-GAMBLER is a private and anonymous number to call.
