Mark Anthony Valenzuela, a former slot machine technician at Casino del Sol in Tucson, Arizona, was recently indicted on charges of stealing as much as $269,000 from the gaming complex. According to the federal indictment, the 32-year-old former Indian casino employee opened various slot machines under the guise of performing routine maintenance work, printed "winning" tickets and had other individuals cash them for him.

Government officials were reported as saying that the thefts occurred over a three-and-a-half year period, beginning in November 2001. The investigation on the case first started after another casino employee noticed the "suspicious" slots tickets and notified management. According to federal law, conviction for theft of a tribal gambling establishment employee leads to a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine.

Five agencies took part in the investigation, including the FBI, the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Gaming Office, the Arizona Department of Gaming, the tribe's Attorney General's office and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department.