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Michigan Issues Charges Against Con Man

LANSING, Michigan – (Press Release) -- Attorney General Mike Cox announced today that his office has issued felony charges against a Detroit man involved in a scheme to bilk more than $1,000,000 from the MotorCity Casino in Detroit. Nikolle Tomaj, 48, was arrested and arraigned today in Wayne County 36th District Court on four felony counts and released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 4.

According to the complaint, the scheme involved bogus scratch and win tickets presented to the MotorCity Casino in April 2003. A promotion offered by the casino provided qualified patrons with scratch off tickets with cash prizes up to $1,000,000. Investigators have determined that on April 18, 2003, Tomaj appeared at the MotorCity Casino to claim a $1,000,000 prize.

Before paying the prize money to Tomaj, the casino sent the ticket to an independent testing laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona for verification. Testing of the ticket showed that the ticket was bogus -- it had been altered to make it appear to be a winning ticket. The alterations were later confirmed through microscopic testing by the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division. Tomaj was never paid for the bogus ticket.

"The odds are stacked against criminals who engage in fraudulent, 'get rich quick' schemes," stated Attorney General Cox. "The Attorney General's Office is fully committed to protecting Michigan citizens from white collar crime and fraud. "The message in this case is quite clear: law enforcement has the tools to successfully detect even the most sophisticated criminals."

When the $1,000,000 ticket was found to be fraudulent, the casino asked the forensic laboratory in Phoenix to test other winning tickets presented during the scratch and win promotion. At least two other tickets, traceable to a 41-year-old Clinton Township man, were found to have been altered in a manner similar to the Tomaj ticket. Tomaj was arrested today after a lengthy investigation by detectives of the Michigan State Police Gaming Section. The criminal complaint, filed in the 36th District Court in Detroit, charges Nikolle Tomaj with four felony crimes: uttering and publishing a forged instrument; attempted obtaining money under false pretenses; claiming money from a gambling game with intent to defraud; and conspiracy to claim money from a gambling game with intent to defraud.

The offenses carry prison terms ranging from 5 to 15 years and/or monetary fines of $10,000 to $3,000,000, and a lifetime ban from Michigan's licensed casinos.

"I am pleased that the Gaming Section, with assistance from the Forensic Science Division, was able to investigate this fraud scheme and identify the alleged conspirators," stated Col. Tadarial J. Sturdivant, Director of the Michigan State Police. "In terms of the money involved, this fraud scheme is one of the largest we have seen involving the State's licensed casinos." With the arrest of Tomaj, State Police investigators advise the case remains open with additional arrests possible. A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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