2 WA Women Accused of Stealing $30K from Northern Quest Casino

Two Thurston County women face federal charges for allegedly defrauding the Northern Quest Resort & Casino out of over $30,000 using fraudulent checks.

Two Thurston County Women Indicted for Bank Fraud at Northern Quest Resort & Casino

Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today the indictment of two Thurston County women on federal bank fraud charges. Kaydee Jean Baker and Beth Ann Hayes are accused of illegally accessing and using a bank account belonging to the Kalispel Tribe’s Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

The indictment, made public today (August 9, 2024), charges Baker and Hayes with ten counts of bank fraud. According to the indictment, the women fraudulently acquired checks displaying the routing number and account details of Northern Quest Resort & Casino’s bank account. Baker and Hayes allegedly issued checks totaling over $30,000, attempting to siphon funds from the account for personal use.

The indictment alleges that Baker and Hayes knowingly used the checks, which were drawn from a bank account not belonging to them but to the Kalispel Tribe’s Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Their actions are reported to have involved deliberate attempts to access and misuse the casino’s financial resources to which they have no affiliation.

The charges against Baker and Hayes carry significant penalties, including up to 30 years in federal prison and the requirement to repay any fraudulently obtained funds. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Kalispell Tribal Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman is prosecuting the case.

It is important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation and not a conviction. The legal principle of "innocent until proven guilty" applies, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case number is 2:24-CR-8-TOR,