Former supervisor indicted on charges of embezzlement

Friday, May 3, 2002 | 11:04 a.m.

A 13-count indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury Wednesday alleging a former slot technician supervisor at Treasure Island illegally sold some of the Las Vegas casino's slot machines for his own profit.

The indictment alleges that Pedro Mata sold slot machines and equipment to U.S. Gaming Exporters Inc. in Clayton, Ohio. Then $109,000 was transferred from a U.S. Gaming account to Mata's personal account at Las Vegas-based Cumorah Credit Union, according to the indictment.

It is further alleged that an additional $67,000 was transferred from U.S. Gaming to Brockelsby Distributing, a Sparks slot distributor.

Mata used the funds for personal credit card debt, automobile loans, ski vacations, new home payments and tax bills, according to the indictment.

In order to sell the slot machines Mata misrepresented himself as director of slot operations for the casino and used company letterhead to accept payment for the slot machines on behalf of the casino, according to the indictment.

The sales allegedly took place from November 2000 through July 2001. Mata is facing seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud and three counts of money laundering.

Attempts to reach Mata or a defense attorney for comment were unsuccessful.

A Clark County District Court lawsuit filed earlier this year against Mata by Treasure Island alleges that Mata sold 196 machines without the Las Vegas casino's consent. The suit said Treasure Island learned of the alleged embezzlement in August 2001, when a former Gaming Exporters employee disclosed terms of the sale to the casino.