A view of the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. Photo from Facebook
Another former employee has pleaded guilty in connection with a theft case at a casino owned by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. When Charles Blair Smallwood, 24, was indicted in March, he was accused of stealing more than $1,000 from the Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant. Based on documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, he actually took a lot more than that because he has been ordered to pay nearly $25,000 in restitution to the tribe. Beyond that, details of the crime are scarce. In a July 22 letter sent to the court, Smallwood said he has been receiving treatment -- from the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority, incidentally -- for a "gambling problem" and his attorney said he suffers from "depression." "I am ready to pay restitution as soon as possible," Smallwood wrote in the letter. He included a copy of a $24,918.12 check that will be sent to the tribe. Despite the seemingly large nature of the theft, Smallwood was sentenced to just six months of home detention and four years of probation. His attorney noted that he lacks a prior criminal record. Smallwood is the latest in a slew of former employees who have pleaded guilty to stealing from the casino in Durant.
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