Casino Scam Artist Sentenced

An Oklahoma man has been sentenced up to 3 years in prison in Marquette federal court for masterminding a scheme that bilked the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie out of nearly $310,000 over the course of the two-year period. 63-year old Joe Koster and five others all plead guilty last October to conspiracy to commit theft from a gaming establishment on Indian lands. An investigation by Sault Ste. Marie Tribal Police and the FBI revealed that Koster would use a light wand to trick poker machines at the casino into payouts while the others would act as lookouts for him and carry the stolen money to the cash cage to convert from quarters to paper currency. Since Koster was considered the leader of the conspiracy he got the longest sentence. The other five received various punishments from one to 18 months behind bars.