Bay Area Casino Employee and Husband Arrested in Long-Running Chip Theft Scheme

A casino worker and her husband have been arrested by Bay Area police following revelations of an elaborate embezzlement operation involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen casino chips over the course of several years.

San Jose police reported that on May 23, they were contacted by a local card room, identified through evidence photographs as Casino M8trix, regarding suspicious activity tied to one of its employees. The casino’s internal investigation pointed to 38-year-old Ellen Mangundayao, who was allegedly stealing casino chips and passing them on to her husband, 41-year-old Mark Mangundayao, for cashing out.

Detectives launched their own investigation and confirmed the casino’s suspicions, uncovering what they described as a “years-long scheme” involving systematic theft of casino chips. The authorities stated that Ellen Mangundayao had been misappropriating chips since at least the beginning of May, if not earlier, and funneling them directly to her husband. He, in turn, would redeem the chips for cash at the same casino, laundering the stolen assets back into currency.

After gathering sufficient evidence, investigators obtained arrest and search warrants. The couple was taken into custody and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail, facing charges of felony embezzlement and conspiracy.

In the course of executing the search warrants, police seized a total of $75,000 in cash and $10,000 worth of casino chips from two residences connected to the suspects. An additional $4,750 in chips was reportedly found on Ellen Mangundayao at the time of her arrest.

The arrests mark the end of what authorities describe as a “finally busted” scheme that exploited the casino’s internal controls over an extended period.

By fLEXI tEAM