Michael James Snyir, a 50-year-old man from Clairton, Allegheny County, was arrested on January 14, 2025, for attempting to cash in fraudulent winning tickets at a local gambling center in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The theft involved several attempts to claim winnings totaling $4,660 at a Pennsylvania Skills business on Wilmington Avenue.
How the Fraud Was Uncovered
According to the criminal complaint, Snyir entered the business and played several machines, attempting to cash out fraudulent tickets. One of his attempts, a $2,340 claim, caught the attention of the store manager, who noted that the machine had not made the typical noise indicating a big win. She informed Snyir that there was not enough money in the store to pay him and that he would need to return the next day.
The manager immediately alerted the police, who set up surveillance and recorded the serial numbers on the store’s bills. The manager then called Snyir and told him he could return to collect the money.
The Sting Operation
When Snyir returned to the store, the manager paid him the $2,340. He continued to play the machines, cashed out again, and exchanged another fraudulent ticket for $1,000. He then presented a third ticket for $720, which the clerk confirmed as fraudulent. At this point, police and detectives moved in to arrest Snyir.
A search revealed a fraudulent receipt for $1,000 dated January 14 in his possession, along with $3,002 in cash. Police determined he had been paid a total of $4,660 in fraudulent claims. The money he had put back into the machines just before his arrest was also accounted for in the theft.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Snyir now faces four felony counts of forgery and one felony count of theft. He was arraigned by District Judge Melissa A. Amodie and committed to the Lawrence County Jail on a $50,000 bond.
