Attorney General's Division of Gambling Control Investigation Results in Arrest

(SACRAMENTO) Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced that as a result of a month-long investigation by the California Department of Justice, an employee of the Coyote Valley, Shodakai Tribal Casino of Redwood Valley was arrested on charges of embezzlement.

"My office is committed to protecting customers and state gaming establishments from being ripped off by criminals," Lockyer said. "We will continue to aggressively enforce state laws in tribal casinos and cardrooms to ensure fair play and safety."

Frances Rinne, 52, was arrested Wednesday in Willits, California. She had been employed by the Coyote Valley Casino as a revenue auditor since 2002. Rinne was fired last month when casino staff discovered financial inconsistencies in her audit procedures. Casino authorities then contacted the Attorney General's Division of Gambling Control to open an investigation into Rinne's activities.

During their investigation, Special Agents from the Division of Gambling Control discovered that Rinne had misappropriated approximately $22,000 in slot machine cash out tickets over a period of several weeks while employed at the casino. Special Agents worked with Tribal authorities, local law enforcement agencies and investigators of the National Gaming Commission to complete the investigation.

Rinne was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on five counts of Grand Theft and Embezzlement. Her arraignment is scheduled for this week. The Mendocino County District Attorney's office will be prosecuting the case.