A Sydney casino worker and his associate have been charged with rigging games of roulette and pocketing winnings of more than $25,000. The pair are alleged to have colluded on individual roulette bets – with the employee rigging the spin and the accomplice placing the bet – over the course of September and October last year.
It’s a pretty brazen, if not particularly well thought out, conspiracy. Unfortunately (or is it fortunate?) most criminals are not that smart and these two were noticed pretty quickly by casino security.
It’s got me wondering about other workplace scandals. We’ve all seen one – whether it was the boss sleeping with a married coworker, salespeople leaving with all the clients or even outright theft like these two – it seems most workplaces will see some drama eventually.
I used to work for a media company that produced car magazines. One day a senior writer resigned from his position effective immediately. Not too dramatic, except he had been in the middle of writing a review of the latest top spec limited edition Ford Mustang, a car worth north of $200,000.
Both writer and car disappeared seemingly into the ether. It wasn’t long before the police were called, the writer and car tracked down. Rather than admit to stealing the car, the writer claimed the Mustang had been given to him by Ford to keep – a claim both Ford and his former employer denied. He was forced to return the car and only narrowly avoided jail through some legal wrangling.
Like these two in the casino, I have always wondered why he thought he would get away with keeping the car. Some people’s confidence is impressive, if not terrifying.
What’s the biggest scandal that’s ever happened at your workplace?
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