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Isle Casino Gambler Claims Jackpot with Fake Name, Gets Double-Busted

An Iowa man who joined the state’s self-exclusion program was arrested after he tried to claim a jackpot at the Isle Casino in Waterloo, Iowa, while pretending to be someone else.

Matthew James Wessels, Isle Casino, Waterloo, Iowa, self-exclusion, forgery, mathamphetamine
Matthew James Wessels, pictured in a mugshot from a 2016 arrest on drug charges. In May, he tried to claim a casino jackpot using a stolen identity, leading to charges of forgery and trespass. (Image: Sac County Sheriff’s Office)

Matthew James Wessels, 43, signed up for the program in January 2023, effectively meaning he agreed to ban himself from every state-licensed gaming venue in Iowa.

Nevertheless, Wessels visited the Isle Casino on May 17, 2024, where he gambled and hit a jackpot for an unspecified amount. But he used a false name and social security number when he filled out the paperwork to claim it.

Forgery, Trespass Arrest

Unhappily for Wessels, the true owner of the social security number was not down with the scheme and called the police, according to court documents.

Wessels returned to the casino on May 19 and was asked to leave, the filings state. Later, he was arrested on forgery and gambling charges, as well as trespassing.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s self-exclusion program, like those in many states, allows gamblers to bar themselves from casinos, usually because they have a gambling problem.

Customers identified by the casino as excluded must be removed from the premises and can be subject to prosecution for criminal trespass.

In most states, including Iowa, the forfeiture of any winnings is a condition of joining the self-exclusion program.

Casinos themselves can face fines or even license suspension for failing to comply with state regulations related to self-exclusion. But most states limit disciplinary action to violations linked to willfully or inadvertently marketing to excluded individuals.

FBI Drugs Sting

After losing out on his jackpot, and now facing criminal charges, things were about to get a whole lot worse for Wessels. On July 16, he agreed to sell four pounds of methamphetamine for $14K to an undercover FBI agent posing as a drug dealer, according to federal court records.

Wessels agreed to meet the agent in the parking lot of a restaurant in Waterloo that same day. On arrival, the suspect carried a tan bag filled with drugs into the agent’s car and was arrested on the spot.

He is now facing federal charges of possession with intent to supply a controlled substance. Wessels is no stranger to such charges. In August 18, 2017, he was sentenced to more than six years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

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Sphere CEO James Dolan Sexually Assaulted, Trafficked Masseuse, Litigation Claims

The CEO of Sphere Entertainment, which has a venue in Las Vegas, was accused Tuesday of the sex trafficking and repeated sex assault of a young woman who worked as a masseuse.

 Harvey Weinstein, left and James Dolan
Harvey Weinstein, left, and James Dolan, at a social occasion. The two are named as defendants in a lawsuit which claims they sexually assaulted a woman. (Image: Getty Images)

On Tuesday, the victim, Kellye Croft, filed a sensational lawsuit in California federal court. It claims Sphere CEO James Dolan and the embattled former film producer, Harvey Weinstein, were involved in the sex-capades.

Croft, a licensed massage therapist who worked for the Eagles rock band, gave Dolan a massage when the two were on a concert tour in 2013. Dolan then was part of a band, JD & The Straight Shot, which opened for the Eagles.

The massage was not particularly troublesome, until Croft tried to end it. Dolan treated Croft’s “resistance as part of a challenge or a game,” the suit claims.

Dolan then “grabbed Ms. Croft’s hands, dragging her to a couch in the same room and forcing her hands between his knees as he sat down… Dolan was extremely assertive, and pressured Ms. Croft into unwanted sexual intercourse with him.”

Later on the concert tour, Croft often was called to Dolan’s room.

On each of these occasions, Dolan made unwelcome advances toward Ms. Croft, and she felt obligated to submit to sex with him,” the suit said.

In 2014, Croft again joined the tour in Los Angeles. Dolan allegedly trafficked her.

While in California, Croft returned to a hotel to find Weinstein in the building.

While in his hotel suite, Weinstein tried “to intimidate Ms. Croft into giving him a naked massage on his bed, at one point physically preventing her from leaving his room.”

Weinstein followed Croft to her room, and sexually assaulted her, the suit claims.

Suffered Trauma

Attorney Douglas H. Wigdor is one of the lawyers representing Croft. In a statement provided by his office, Croft said,

“I have suffered so profoundly because of what James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein did to me years ago, and it was not an easy decision to come forward and seek justice.  But for me, to truly address my trauma, I need to seek accountability.”

James Dolan manipulated me, brought me to California to abuse me, and then set me up for a vicious attack by Weinstein.  My hope is that my lawsuit will force Dolan to acknowledge what he did to me and to take responsibility for the harm he has caused.”

Croft is seeking monetary damages in a jury trial.

Claims Without Merit

In a statement given to Casino.org on Wednesday, Dolan’s attorney, E. Danya Perry, said, “There is absolutely no merit to any of the allegations against Mr. Dolan.”

Kellye Croft and James Dolan had a friendship. The references to Harvey Weinstein are simply meant to inflame and appear to be plagiarized from prior cases against Mr. Weinstein. These claims reflect an act of retaliation by an attorney who has brought multiple cases against Mr. Dolan and has not won, and cannot win, a judgment against him. Mr. Dolan always believed Ms. Croft to be a good person and is surprised she would agree to these claims. Bottom line, this is not a he said/she said matter and there is compelling evidence to back up our position.”

Jennifer Bonjean, an attorney representing Weinstein, who is in prison, said he “vehemently denies these meritless allegations,” CNN reported.

Dolan is also the chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports, the group that manages the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

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Questionable MGM Hack Fraud Claims Spread as Lawyers Troll for Victims

On Oct. 5, MGM Resorts International revealed that hackers were able to access the names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and driver’s license and passport numbers, from “some customers who transacted with us prior to March 2019.”

Digital security watchdogs have now identified the hackers behind the MGM and recent Caesars cyber attacks as the groups’ Scattered Spider, Muddled Libra, and UNC3944. (Image: iStock/Getty)

However, according to a letter sent to customers by company CEO Bill Hornbuckle, the company has “no evidence that the criminal actors have used this data to commit identity theft or account fraud” and “does not believe customer passwords, bank account numbers, or payment card information” were leaked.

This contradicted a claim that widely circulated on social media two days earlier. A statement, purportedly posted by a Pat Ellis to the MGM Rewards Facebook group, claimed that “the hackers have now begun draining the BetMGM accounts and access your tax documents.”

The claim continued: “My balance was wiped out in front of my eyes, the phone number was changed to the hackers’ number, and the money was sent to an unknown Visa card.”

The poster claimed to have been informed by MGM “that they will not do anything to assist in the recovery of any funds or information regarding the thieves.”

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

Casino.org joined the MGM Rewards Facebook group on Oct. 4 and attempted to locate the post, but it did not exist. If the post had been published there, it was probably deleted by a group administrator. However, this is not evidence of the claim’s validity. Casino.org searched for and found no similar claims before we were banned from the group within 10 minutes of posting a solicitation for other claims.

Claims are widespread from social media users complaining that they can’t access their BetMGM accounts, but Casino.org identified only five similar claims of theft and fraud. Attempts were made to contact all these claimants, but none responded to our requests for an interview by late Friday.

Though this does not prove that the claims are all false, it supports MGM’s story and strongly suggests that these alleged victims may be scammers themselves.

Lawyers Gonna Lawyer

Whether these claims are true or not, one thing is for certain: Attorneys will use almost any opportunity to troll for plaintiffs.

According to Wall Street Journal sources, MGM expects its third-quarter earnings to be down $100 million due to its Sept. 10 ransomware attack, which the casino giant chose not to pay. Caesars Entertainment admitted suffering a similar attack sometime before Sept. 7 that it did pay — reportedly to the tune of $15 million.

The L.A.-based law firm of J&Y, run by attorneys Jason Javaheri and Yosef Yahoudai, posted this advertisement on Facebook. (Image: Casino.org screengrab via Facebook)

Up to nine lawsuits have already been filed by customers of the two casino giants. But none of the suits demands compensation from MGM and Caesars for acts of fraud or theft already suffered.

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