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Read Full BioThomas Tonar, a Sun Valley, Nevada resident, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for embezzling almost $750,000 from multiple casinos in Washoe County.
The Sparks Police Department responded to reports of missing money at the Dotty’s run casinos in June this year, and an investigation led to the arrest of Tonar.
Surveillance video from Dotty’s captured the 61-year-old taking cash from office areas. Detectives later determined he was stealing from six casino locations, totaling $714,713.59 in missing funds.
After the thefts came to light, Tonar fled Nevada for California. He was arrested at a motel in Sacramento in a joint law enforcement operation, where officers recovered $677,069 of the stolen money and three firearms.
In a press release, Chief Deputy District Attorney Amos Stege said the crime was motivated by greed and warned of the negative impact on the gaming industry in Nevada. In court, victims spoke of the detrimental impact such crimes can have on casino employees who largely rely on tips to make a living.
Judge Barry Breslow handed down the sentence, noting Tonar will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of eight years.
Sentence More Severe Than Other States
A 30-year sentence is severe compared to other comparable crimes this year. Last month, a former Muscogee (Creek) Nation accountant was sentenced to six years in prison after embezzling $25 million in funds from the tribe’s gaming enterprise.
Michael Anthony Houser used the funds to gamble as a VIP high-roller in Las Vegas, but received a far lighter punishment in Oklahoma. His crimes spanned the course of eight years, over which time he paid for private school tuition, cars, a high-end boat, and funneled some money into investment accounts.
In September, two women were also given lighter sentences for embezzling funds to support their gambling habits. Destiny McKayla Combs, 37, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $2.72 million in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Pamela Hackenburg received a sentence of two to four years in prison in Pennsylvania for embezzling over $532,000 in public funds to support her gambling habit.
In the same month, a former Washington state employee was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for embezzling about $878,000. Tonar’s sentence was longer, as in Nevada each count of embezzlement can be charged separately. This led to six separate felony counts. In other states, these may have been collapsed into one count, leading to a much shorter sentence.
Dotty’s Reputation Tarnished By Scandals
At the sentencing of Tonar, Judge Breslow highlighted how these crimes could negatively impact the state of Nevada, which relies heavily on its gaming industry.
The owner of Dotty’s, Nevada Restaurant Services, has faced other scandals this year. The company agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit last month.
It is unclear if Tonar stole funds from the same locations that faced accusations of allowing sexual harassment to take place. In response to the allegations, the company said it would implement new procedures, including training for all employees to prevent recurrences of the incidents.
