New Jersey Teacher Arrested in Alleged $1,250 Casino Robbery

Key Points New Jersey teacher Amanda Crafts was fired after being accused of helping steal $1,250 from a man at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Crafts denies wrongdoing and plans to fight theft and conspiracy charges Crafts and Veda Engel were released under pretrial supervision, while Engel also faces a separate prostitution case

Key Points

New Jersey teacher Amanda Crafts was fired after being accused of helping steal $1,250 from a man at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City

Crafts denies wrongdoing and plans to fight theft and conspiracy charges

Crafts and Veda Engel were released under pretrial supervision, while Engel also faces a separate prostitution case

A middle school teacher from New Jersey has been fired after being accused of helping steal $1,250 from a man during a sexual encounter at an Atlantic City casino hotel. Amanda Crafts, 35, denies involvement in the alleged robbery, and her attorney said she was unaware of any arrangement involving paid sexual services. 

A middle school teacher from New Jersey

steal $1,250

sexual

encounter

Atlantic City casino

hotel

Amanda Crafts

denies involvement

NJ Teacher Accused of Restraining Man During Alleged Casino Hotel Theft

Crafts and Veda Engel, 23, were arrested October 9 in connection with an incident at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. The man met the two women at Caesars Atlantic City, and later that night went to a hotel room with them, a criminal complaint says.

Crafts

Veda Engel

Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City

Caesars Atlantic City,

The unidentified man told investigators he exchanged contact information with Engel after meeting her at Caesars property. She invited him to join her and Crafts in a room at Harrah’s, according to reports from the New York Post. 

Engel

Caesars

Crafts

Harrah’s

The complaint says the encounter turned into a robbery after the man was undressed. Crafts allegedly restrained the man on the bed so that he could not move freely, and began a sexual act.

The complaint

robbery

Crafts

the man

sexual act

Investigators said Engel then used the man’s iPhone and its facial recognition technology to access his payment services. Crafts continued to pin him down as she allegedly made four Apple Pay transfers totaling $1,250 to her own account. 

Engel

Crafts

The man is said to have called police after the encounter ended. The complaint alleges that Engel indicated that what he had paid was all he was going to get before the encounter was over. 

Engel

Both women are charged with the alleged incident. Crafts is charged with theft and conspiracy to commit robbery, while Engel also faces a charge of prostitution.

Crafts

Engel

NJ Teacher Rejects Plea Deal as Defense Challenges Robbery Allegations

Craft’s attorney Charles Peruto Jr. has denied that his client helped hold the man down or took part in taking his money. He says she met Engel and the complainant that night and thought they were going to a hotel room to continue partying. 

Craft’s attorney Charles Peruto Jr.

Engel

Peruto also said Crafts knew nothing about any alleged commercial sex arrangement. He said she was not involved in the alleged theft and plans to fight the allegations in court. 

Peruto

Crafts

At an earlier hearing, Crafts told a judge she had never been arrested before and thought she had just been caught up in a bad situation. Her lawyer has also said she intends to fight the charges instead of entering a plea deal. 

Crafts

The two defendants were released on October 15 on pretrial supervision. They reportedly must check in with the court regularly and are prohibited from contacting each other or the alleged victim. 

The two defendants

Engel is also facing a separate prostitution case involving an alleged encounter with an undercover New Jersey State Police detective at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in December 2025. 

Engel

separate prostitution case

New Jersey State Police

Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa

Crafts has been a computer teacher at Middle Township Middle School in Cape May County, New Jersey, since 2016. On October 19, the school district informed parents and staff that she no longer worked there.

Crafts

Middle Township Middle School

Cape May County, New Jersey,

casino

crime

nevada

north america

usa