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According to the arrest warrant affidavit, law enforcement began investigating Pietras after an employee with a third-party company that assists funeral homes in managing and administering funeral contracts notified police about possible discrepancies at Pietras Family Funeral Homes in Coventry. Such funeral trust administrators partner with funeral homes to provide various programs, including trust funds, insurance policies, and escrow account management.

Law enforcement investigators uncovered a mountain of alleged theft. As the news spread, clients began requesting escrow statements, only to find that their funds were never deposited.

Prosecutors alleged that Pietras was stealing the funeral money to fund his gambling addiction. Law enforcement found that Pietras made more than 800 casino trips over a 14-year period.

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Ultimately, the gamble backfired.

Arbitrators found against the companies and ordered them to pay millions of dollars toward Laos’ legal costs and expenses.

One tribunal found in 2019 that Lao Holdings had acted in bad faith and ordered it to pay Laos $1.95 million. Another made a similar finding against Sanum and awarded the government $1.78 million.

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Under IGRA, gaming is generally prohibited on land taken into trust after 1988 unless it qualifies under specific exceptions. Scotts Valley claims its Vallejo property falls under the “restored lands” exception for federally recognized tribes.

While Interior agreed that Scotts Valley met requirements regarding its modern ties to the area and the timing of the acquisition, the department ultimately concluded the tribe failed to demonstrate a sufficiently significant historical connection to the land.

In court Friday, DOJ attorney Amber Dutton-Bynum argued that Scotts Valley could not meet the high threshold for irreparable harm required to secure an injunction. She maintained that the tribe knowingly chose to invest in the Preview Casino while its gaming status remained uncertain, as reported by Law360. Dutton-Bynum added that the modular buildings could easily be repurposed for non-gaming commercial uses if the prohibition stands.