Two Department of Public Works (DPW) employees from Milwaukee recently posted guilty pleas on charges they fraudulently embezzled $100K from selling city assets. They then spent most of it at the local Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
Kyle Hepp and Kelly Whitmore-Behling, both of Milwaukee, last week filed guilty pleas in a Wisconsin District Court.
The two are facing federal charges of conspiracy to commit theft from a federally funded program. They could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
The Crime
Hepp and Behling were employed as fleet managers for the DPW’s vehicular department.
Between June and September 2022, the duo sold $300,000 worth of DPW assets to various buyers at far below market price.
They then would file bills of sale to the city for the market value, obtain the cash remittance, and pocket the extra.
The two pocketed around $100,000 from this scheme over the four months, most of which they gambled away.
The two didn’t even attempt to cover their tracks by driving over state lines for their casino trips, or even out of the city that employed them.
Most of the money was wagered at the Potawatomi Hotel Casino in Milwaukee, which is just a two-minute drive or five minute walk from the City of Milwaukee Central Repair Garage, where the pair worked.
“Whitmore-Behling and Hepp both gambled excessively at the Potawatomi Casino during the months that this scheme was ongoing, using funds embezzled from the City,” said the court filings, as reported by local news outlet Urban Milwaukee.
Another party is involved in the story. Court documents refer to one individual, named as R.G, who purchased a significant amount of material from Whitmore-Behling and Hepp during the period of their crimes.
The individual is said to have made significant profits from the purchases.
However, it is unknown if authorities believe R.G was aware of the criminality involved in the deal, or if a criminal case is being pursued against them at this time.
Gambling Embezzlement
The pair of embezzlers face five years on the first counts and 10 years on the second. They could also be in for a fine of up to $250,000. No court date has been set for their sentencing as of yet.
Potawatomi Casino has not commented on the matter.
2023 saw several high profile cases of employees embezzling money from their companies to spend on, among other things, their gambling habits.
In Arkansas, a 63-year-old grandmother used her position as a teller to steal $300,000 from the Bank of Arkansas. Most of that she gambled at the Southland Casino in West Memphis, Arkansas.
However, the biggest case was that of Amit Patel, a former accounts manager for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Between 2019 and 2023, the Florida resident stole more than $22 million from the NFL team. A decent chunk was spent on Daily Fantasy Sports Pick ‘Em contests at online sportsbook DraftKings.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
