Man charged with gaming machine thefts in Grafton

Two men, one from Manitowoc and one from Two Rivers, have been charged in connection with alleged thefts of cash from a gaming machine in a Grafton restaurant.

According to a criminal complaint, Justin James Rohr, 36, of Two Rivers, was seen on video playing a Spooky Cash gaming machine on March 24 at The Stillery restaurant in Grafton.

An Ozaukee County Sheriff’s deputy viewed a video that showed Rohr sitting close to the machine and repeatedly tapping his knee, collecting payouts from the machine, putting the money on top of the machine but not putting any money into the machine.

The two men returned the next day, on March 25, the video shows, and Rohr played the same machine again while the other man socialized at the bar with the bartender and other patrons.

The other man is not being named because he is not charged in the complaint.

Rohr again sat close to the machine, repeatedly touched his left knee, each time collecting payouts, which he gave to the other man to cash.

The payouts those two days on that machine totaled $8,817, according to the complaint.

The bartender at The Stillery remembered both men also visiting the bar on March 3. A review of the machine showed that day’s payout totaled $3,188.

A check of the machine found it had total payouts of $38,775 from Feb. 24 to March 25.

The investigating deputy contacted the Mequon Police Department over similar activity at a local bar and a video check showed the person to also be Rohr.

On March 29, Rohr returned to The Stillery, this time with Kelly J. McCredie, 41, of Manitowoc.

The bartender contacted police and both men were detained. During a search, they found an electronic device strapped to Rohr’s knee with a wire leading up to his left front pocket.

The electronic device was tested against a Spooky Cash machine and caused the machine to print cash payout tickets without any money being put into it.

McCredie told police that the cash he had on him was won at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee.

Police searched the car  they drove, which belonged to a woman friend of Rohr’s. In it, they found more electronic equipment, $3,729 in cash, payout tickets, a glass pipe and a plastic bag with white powder in it.

The white powder tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 16 grams, indicating that it was intended for distribution, according to the complaint.

A check of criminal records showed Rohr has been convicted in recent years with driving with a revoked license, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse and possession of THC in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties.

A record search showed McCredie has been convicted in Brown and Manitowoc counties of felony bail jumping and manufacturing and delivering amphetamines. Because he had refused to be tested following an arrest for driving while intoxicated in Sheboygan County, his license had been revoked and he was required to have an ignition interlock device installed on his vehicle.

Rohr is charged with theft, a class G felony. If convicted, he could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and fined up to $25,000.

He also is charged with five counts of misdemeanor bail jumping and could face nine months in prison and fined $10,000 on each count. As a repeat offender, having been convicted of at least three misdemeanors in the last five years, he could be sentenced to an additional 14 years in prison.

McCredie is charged with obstructing an officer, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license and violating an ignition interlock device order, all misdemeanors for which he could be fined as much as $13,100 and imprisoned as long as two years and three months, plus another two years as a repeat offender.

The incident is still under investigation and more charges may be forthcoming, according to the complaint.