Plainridge Racecourse Worker Accused Of $61K Theft

BOSTON (AP) — A former assistant money room manager at Plainridge Racecourse has been accused in an indictment with stealing $61,000 and manipulating corporate records to conceal his theft.

Attorney General Martha Coakley's office said 45-year-old Joseph Sears of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, stole the money between April 2013 and January 2014.

Investigators said records were forged to show the balance in the room was less than it should have been. They allege Sears manipulated the cash report by the amount of money he allegedly stole. The erroneous entries allegedly all occurred when Sears was working.

Sears will be arraigned June 12. A telephone listing for him could not be found. It's not immediately known who is representing him.

In February, Penn National Gaming was awarded the state's only slots parlor license to operate the gambling facility at Plainridge.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON