DUSON - Police here have arrested a pair they say stole money from a Duson casino last weekend.
Police Chief Kip Judice said the incident was premeditated and likely has occurred to other businesses in the past.
Cary Gordon Bastian, 31, and Abby Marie Doan, 32, both of Gordon Road south of Rayne, have each been charged with misdemeanor theft and were booked into the Acadia Parish Jail.
Duson Police Department received a call Saturday morning that the casino’s clerk had determined that her cash drawer was several hundred dollars short of what it should have been.
Officers responded and reviewed surveillance video footage which showed the two suspects in committing the theft.
“These types of crimes occur obviously more often in the holiday season, but it’s always a never-ending battle with people,” said Judice. “These casinos will put in place certain safeguards and so these individuals try to find a way to defeat that.”
According to Judice, Doan can bee seen luring the cashier away from the cash drawer.
“She tells the clerk that the (video poker) machine has locked up and it’s not giving her options. The clerk and the security guard both leave the area where the money is stored,” explained Judice.
That’s when Bastian stepped in to steal the money, the surveillance video revealed.
“He reaches over. He accesses the cash register and removes several hundreds of dollars in U.S. currency from that cash drawer.”
Judice said the casino did not reveal the total amount of money taken but added, “I will tell you that it’s not a sufficient amount of money to cover the amount of bond that’s going to be issued in regard to what they did.”
No bond had been set on Doan. A $2,500 bond was set on Bastian.
Judice said the couple pre-planned the theft and he believes it’s not their first time doing this type of incident.
“Criminals are always thinking of another way,” Judice said. “One step ahead of where law enforcement and technology is so, with that being said, it’s just a matter of time before they get caught.”
Judice said both Bastian and Doan have extensive criminal histories and Bastian is also wanted in Texas.