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Read Full BioFormer Hollywood Casino employee Jennifer Petrillo is facing accusations of stealing over $727,000, which she spent on a Tesla, plastic surgery, and LEGOS. Petrillo was arraigned on nine felony counts, including theft, forgery, and computer trespassing.
The 53-year-old worked as a part-time horse racing bookkeeper at the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. A colleague filling in for her when she was on medical leave discovered “glaring discrepancies” in the casino’s bookkeeping software.
Staff then contacted police, who launched an investigation in March 2025. A police report stated that Petrillo conspired with a family member and fraudulently transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Police say the scheme created false accounts and used false identities and businesses to receive the funds. Several legitimate accounts also showed unexplained negative balances totaling tens of thousands of dollars.
Theft Funded Lavish Lifestyle
Prosecutors say Petrillo spent the money on a Tesla Model 3, luxury spa treatments, plastic surgeries, extensive LEGO collections, and stock investments via Robinhood.
She has been released on $10,000 bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 24 before Magisterial District Judge Dale E. Klein.
Police say the first discrepancies dated back to June 2024, shortly after Petrillo began working at the casino. She used her new position to issue several checks to unknown accounts and multiple people.
“This was a calculated abuse of a position of trust,” investigators noted, pointing out that Petrillo was one of only three employees with the high-level system access required to execute such transactions.
Other Fraudsters Jailed for Similar Crimes
The charges against Petrillo are likely to result in a lengthy prison sentence. In a similar case in Las Vegas, a casino database manager stole customer “free play” credits and converted them into real winnings of about $863,895. The employee was sentenced to 57 months in jail.
Last year, 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. Like Petrillo, Michael Anthony Houser used the funds to buy cars, luxury goods, and stocks.
In the UK, a former travel agent was jailed for three years last week for stealing over $600,000 from her employer. She allegedly used much of the funds to gamble online.
In relation to Petrillo’s alleged crimes, Hollywood Casino stated it is cooperating fully with law enforcement and has since reviewed its internal financial controls to prevent similar incidents.
