Attorney General Becerra Announces Arrests in Tribal Casino Embezzlement Case

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced the arrests of Luc Mooc and Prak Pich for an alleged embezzlement scheme that resulted in the theft of more than $200,000 from the Red Hawk Tribal Casino in Placerville, California.

“My office stands ready to fight back against those who try to get rich quick by breaking the law,” said Attorney General Becerra. “The California Department of Justice will do its part to tackle criminal activity in our state.”

The arrests were the result of a joint effort between the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control and surveillance staff at the casino. Pich, a floor manager at the casino, would allegedly extend credit lines to Mooc, a casino patron, and then falsify documents to make it appear as if the credit line had been paid back. These short term, no-interest credit lines are commonly extended by casinos to allow approved patrons easy access to gambling funds with the understanding that the temporary loan would be repaid within a short period of time. However, instead of paying back the loans, Mooc and Pich allegedly conspired to steal the funds that would range anywhere from $12,000 to $14,000 at a time.

Following the arrests, Mooc and Pich were booked into custody at the El Dorado County Jail. Bail is currently set at $200,000. The case is being prosecuted by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Arraignment for the defendants is currently set to take place at 1:00 PM on Monday, November 18, 2019 at the El Dorado County Superior Court.

Attorney General Becerra remains committed to protecting the safety and well-being of people across California. In May, the California Department of Justice filed fraud charges against an individual for allegedly targeting recipients of public assistance programs like CalFresh and CalWORKs. In July, the California Department of Justice announced the arrest of several individuals for allegedly operating a tax fraud and identity theft scheme targeting military service members in San Diego County. Last month, the Attorney General brought charges against three individuals for an alleged mortgage fraud scheme that disproportionately targeted elderly Californians across the state and resulted in the loss of more than $7 million. In 2018, Attorney General Becerra announced the arrests and filing of charges against 17 individuals for a robbery scheme targeting Apple retail stores across California.

It is important to note that criminal charges are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.