Jeremy Cushing and Four Co-Defendants Sentenced in $800,000-Plus Casino Fake-ID Fraud

Published Oct. 16, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Five people have been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme involving more than $800,000 in fraudulent transactions against a company that provides cash-access services to casinos and online sports-betting operators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced Oct. 14, 2026 [1]. The conspirators used fake driver’s licenses to withdraw money from the company’s customers’ accounts [1]. Lead defendant Jeremy Cushing, 53, of Topeka, received 95 months in prison [1].

The defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced. The account below reflects the U.S. Attorney’s description of the scheme after those pleas and sentencings.

How the scheme worked

According to court documents summarized by the U.S. Attorney’s Office [1]:

1. Target selection. From about July 2021 through March 2024, the conspirators identified customers of a casino and online gaming cash-access company.
2. Stolen personal data. They obtained customers’ personal identifying information.
3. Fake driver’s licenses. Using that data, they created counterfeit driver’s licenses.
4. Account withdrawals. Posing as the customers, they withdrew funds from the victims’ accounts at casinos across the United States, repeating the pattern many times.
5. Scale. Losses exceeded three-quarters of a million dollars—more than $800,000 in fraudulent transactions.

“This case underscores how criminals can exploit stolen personal information for financial gain,” U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser said, urging people to safeguard identifying information and report unusual account activity [1].

FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod noted the scheme used fabricated official identity documents to commit wire fraud even as gaming technology advanced [1].

The people sentenced

All pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud [1]:

Defendant	Age / city	Sentence
Jeremy Cushing	53, Topeka, Kan.	95 months
Rachael Matoian	36, Topeka, Kan.	38 months
Abraham Ruiz	44, Joplin, Mo.	34 months
Cassandra Williams	39, Spring Valley, Calif.	12 months
Leroy Noll	46, Newton, Kan.	12 months

Investigation: FBI, Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police and Jackson County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office; prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham [1].

Red flags

• Unexpected withdrawals from casino cash-access, sports-betting or gaming wallets.
• Notices that someone used your ID at a property you never visited.
• Phishing or data breaches that expose driver’s license numbers, dates of birth and addresses—fuel for fake-ID mills.
• Offers to “help recover” stolen gaming funds for an upfront fee—often a secondary scam.

What to do if you’re targeted

1. Freeze or close gaming and cash-access accounts at the first sign of unauthorized withdrawals; call the issuer’s fraud line on your statement.
2. Report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov and file with the FBI at ic3.gov.
3. Place fraud alerts or credit freezes with the major credit bureaus if your driver’s license data may have been stolen.
4. Keep casino and betting receipts and dispute unauthorized transactions in writing promptly.

Case status (as of Oct. 16, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 16, 2026	Source
Jeremy Cushing, 53, Topeka	D. Kan.	Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud; sentenced to 95 months	[1]
Rachael Matoian, 36, Topeka	D. Kan.	Same charge; 38 months	[1]
Abraham Ruiz, 44, Joplin, Mo.	D. Kan.	Same charge; 34 months	[1]
Cassandra Williams, 39, Spring Valley, Calif.	D. Kan.	Same charge; 12 months	[1]
Leroy Noll, 46, Newton, Kan.	D. Kan.	Same charge; 12 months	[1]

Sentences have been imposed. Appeal or modification status is not reported here.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Kansas, “Five defendants sentenced for fraudulent transactions totaling over $800,000,” Oct. 14, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/five-defendants-sentenced-fraudulent-transactions-totaling-over-800000-0

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