The Pennsylvania Attorney’s office, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Police, announced that a Bethlehem man has been charged in a scheme to alter video gambling vouchers - inflating the winnings - and cashing the vouchers in Carbon County and throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Anthony M. Diehl, 31, was arraigned this week in Northampton County on felony charges.

Trooper Byler Brackman of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop Z Headquarters detailed the case against Diehl, which began in Palmerton in February 2023.

Palmerton Borough Police arrested Diehl after he exchanged several fraudulent video gambling device vouchers for cash at the Carbon Mini-Mart.

When police discovered evidence that indicated Diehl and accomplices had been committing this same crime for several months all over eastern Pennsylvania, they called the PSP Organized Crime Unit into the investigation.

These crimes were first reported by staff members of the Carbon Mini-Mart on Jan. 28, 2023.

Employees said a man matching Diehl’s description had passed several altered vouchers to be fraudulently paid out, a total amount of $695.

On Jan. 30, 2023, Diehl returned to the mini-mart to pass another fraudulent voucher.

Several Palmerton Borough Police officers responded and detained Diehl and another person, who told them that Diehl printed and provided him with a fraudulent voucher. He said Diehl told him to go into the store to cash it, however the employees refused to do so.

Evidence

Police saw a printer and other equipment in the vehicle, which was impounded and police seized a gray ASUS laptop.

Police said the laptop had well over 100 forged/fraudulent VGD vouchers as “Microsoft Word Documents” on the computer.

These were from businesses/establishments all over eastern PA, and presented similar to a digital ledger. Among these documents Brackman discovered saved printable watermarks for VGD manufacturers/vendors, such as “MIELE” and “SRS Amusements.”

Brackman also reviewed Diehl’s Google searches, including hundreds of searches for specific and general gas stations and tobacco shops, such as “tobacco shops near me,” gas stations in Schnecksville pa,” “carbon mini mart Palmerton,” etc.

Brackman also found searches for “prominent games pa,” and searches for technical information regarding computer equipment, such as “Epson printer drivers,” “munbyn Bluetooth printer driver,” etc.

A Munbyn Thermal Receipt Printer was discovered in Diehl’s vehicle and seized as evidence during the vehicle search conducted by Palmerton Borough Police Department. Another was seized by members of the Bethlehem City Police Department during a separate investigation.

Other departments

Throughout the investigation, Brackman made contact with numerous police officers throughout the eastern Pennsylvania region who had investigations involving Diehl.

Brackman reviewed a report completed by an officer of the Slate Belt Regional Police Department, which was an investigation into fraudulent vouchers at a Citgo gas station in Plainfield Township, where five fraudulent tickets were photographed and collected as evidence.

The report documents that four fraudulent tickets were successfully exchanged for cash totaling in the amount of $2,451. The last fraudulent voucher Diehl attempted to pass was for $1,055, however, the attendant declined to take the voucher and contacted the police.

Brackman determined that there was an exact replica of the $1,055 voucher on Diehl’s laptop, as well as several other voucher templates for the same store which could have been edited at any time. Diehl was listed as a suspect, but never charged with the crimes.

There were also several reports in which Diehl and others were charged with low grade theft offenses. Brackman has discovered at least nine people who admitted a connection to Diehl.

Brackman interviewed several of these people, who indicated that Diehl produced and/or altered VGD vouchers using computer equipment and chemicals, and that Diehl was also a narcotics user and dealer.

They said that Diehl would have people cash in the fraudulent vouchers for him, sometimes in exchange for drugs, sometimes for a portion of the illegally obtained “winnings.”

They said that Diehl would actively recruit/solicit people to commit these crimes and said Diehl would typically recruit vulnerable people, namely drug addicts.

Members of the Organized Crime Unit conducted an operation involving Diehl in May of 2023. Brackman said Diehl made several admissions about his involvement as a participant and orchestrator in numerous crimes relating to VGD fraud.

Brackman said Diehl conspired to commit an operation at the Penn Jersey Gas Station on Beth Bath Pike/East Allen Township.

Police said Diehl passed several forged/manufactured Video Gambling Device vouchers in exchange for cash totaling in the amount of at least $2,210 between the dates of Aug. 8, 2023, and Aug. 11, 2023.

Diehl also attempted to pass another fraudulent voucher in the amount of $402 on Aug. 16, 2023, but was denied the cash. Brackman discovered forged voucher templates for this location on Diehl’s laptop download which are nearly identical to the ones collected as evidence.

Diehl faces charges of corrupt organizations, conspiracy to violate, forgery, theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, unlawful use of computer, unlawful duplication, possessing instrument of crime with intent, and theft by deception.

Diehl is free on $100,000 unsecured bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing May 31 before District Judge John C. Capobianco of Nazareth.