The former Director of Benefits for casino operator Penn National Gaming is facing multiple charges after she was found to have misappropriated more than $75,000 worth of gift cards intended for employees at the company.
Denise M. Bitler worked as Director of Benefits at Penn National between October 2014 and June 2019. She was tasked with running the casino operator’s wellness program.
Employees who were part of the program and accomplished major wellness goals were often treated to prizes in the form of $25 or $50 gift cards. Those were purchased by their employer.
Penn National contacted in early July Berk County detectives in relation to Ms. Bitler’s nearly five-year pattern of wrongdoing. A probe into the matter was launched immediately.
Detectives found that Ms. Bitler was responsible for ordering, maintaining, and distributing the gift cards under Penn National’s wellness program. She had to pass the gift cards to human resource officers at casinos and racetracks owned by the company. Officers would then distribute them to employees.
Detectives found out that Ms. Bitler misused a number of gift cards to cover medical bills, purchase various items for personal use, and pay for vacations. Penn National is believed to have sustained losses of more than $75,350 as a result from the long-running fraud.
Stealing Director Faces Multiple Charges
Detectives further discovered that Ms. Bitler has defrauded her former employer out of another $1,200 per year for two years by claiming in medical enrollment forms that she and members of her family were non-smokers when they actually were. With those false claims she avoided a $50 monthly charge per family member.
The Berks County district attorney’s office said in a press release that Penn National’s former Director of Benefits has multiple charges leveled against her, including theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, theft by deception, theft by unlawful disposition, access device fraud, unlawful use of a computer, and claiming stolen property.
Charges were filed last Wednesday and Ms. Biter surrendered to the authorities the following day.
With more than 41 properties in 19 jurisdictions, Penn National is among the largest US casino and racetrack operators. The company’s facilities feature more than 50,500 slot machines, 1,300 table games, and 8,800 hotel rooms.
Aside from its gaming operations at brick-and-mortar properties, Penn National has also been focused on expanding and strengthening its digital gaming and sports betting foothold. Over the summer, the company announced five partnerships with leading online gambling operators to tap into the iGaming and sports betting verticals as those gain more traction in the US regulated marketplace with every day that passes.
Penn National is days away from welcoming its new Chief Executive Officer. Jay Snowden is set to assume the role of the company’s highest ranking official on January 1, 2020.
Source: Former casino director of benefits accused of stealing $75K in gift cards
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