Man Blows Stolen $23K At Hollywood Slots
Written by Mark Good
The Ellsworth American
Thursday, January 12, 2006

MOUNT DESERT — A former manager at the Somesville One Stop convenience store is facing a theft charge after reportedly admitting to taking more than $23,000 and blowing it at Hollywood Slots, the recently opened gambling casino in Bangor.

John Ethridge, 40, of Trenton was summoned on the class B theft charges last week. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Hancock County Superior Court on Jan. 25.

According to Mount Desert police officer Leigh Guildford, who investigated the theft, Ethridge had been working at the store for three or four months when the store’s owner, R.H. Foster Energy, noticed a substantial shortage in bank deposits at the end of November.

Ethridge was solely responsible for making deposits, the officer said.

“[Ethridge] initially denied any wrongdoing but later confessed,” Guildford said.

Ethridge reportedly told the officer that he spent most of the money at Hollywood Slots.

“He did admit he has a severe gambling problem,” Guildford said.

Guildford, with the cooperation of Hollywood Slots and Maine Gambling Control Board officials, viewed videotapes of Ethridge feeding the stolen money into high-payoff slot machines at the facility.

Guildford said the money was taken over “a short period of time.”

No money was recovered and Ethridge acted alone, he added.

Robert Welch, executive director of the Gambling Control

Board, said this is the first case in the state where stolen money allegedly was used to gamble at Hollywood Slots. He said he believes the casino’s parent company, Penn National Gaming, Inc. of Wyomissing, Pa., was not at fault; the company followed the correct procedures, ensuring Ethridge was 21 years of age or older and that he was not intoxicated. There was no way for Hollywood Slots to know where the money came from, he said.

Welch also pointed out that Hollywood Slots cooperated fully in the investigation, agreeing to supply the videotapes as soon they were requested.

The most a player can gamble at one time on the Bangor slot machines is $5, Welch said. Still, the payoff can be high; recently someone won $30,000, he said.

Robert Foster, president of R. F. Foster, declined to comment on the theft.

Hollywood Slots is located in the former Miller’s Restaurant building on Main Street in Bangor. The facility, which has 475 slot machines, opened for business on Nov. 4. According to published reports, more than $60 million was wagered at Hollywood Slots between opening day and Jan. 1. Revenue for the period was reported at $4.2 million, with $1,988,245 going to the state in the form of tax payments, leaving Penn National with a $2,167,408 profit.

If convicted, Ethridge faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine. He will likely be required to pay restitution to R.F. Foster as well, police said.