Detroit man gambles away $1.5 million accidentally given by ATM

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow...191619543.html

Ronald Page seemingly had it made when Bank of America unintentionally changed his account status, allowing the 55-year-old man to make unlimited ATM cash overdraft withdrawals.
But ABC News reports that Page, who in reality had only $300 in his checking account, used the accidental loophole to withdraw more than $1.5 million—losing it all on gambling.

And even worse for Page, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit says he is now facing 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of theft of bank funds, $1,543,104 in total between December 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009.


I don't see why the man should face charges, or at least serious ones. Hand a gambler cash while he's in the midst of gambling and what's he going to do with it - of course! gamble it! I would say there's the equivalent of a sort of John Z. Delorean
http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=3526,3568334
story. In the early 1980s John DeLorean, a former high level executive and vice-president at General Motors, who left GM to start his own motor car business and sell the iconic DMC Delorean
http://www.truepassage.com/forums/at...m-delorean.jpg
of Back to the Future fame, on his own.

Although the car was innovative, the U.S. motor car market simply isn't set up - or at least wasn't back then - for anyone other than the big imports and the big three GM Ford Chrysler - to sell here. Facing financial difficulties, he turned everywhere for funds to keep his struggling company afloat, until he was approached by government agents posing and drug lords, who offered to get him in on a couple of huge cocaine deals that would earn him the cash he needed.

After he was arrested, he claimed an entrapment offense - and was acquitted at trial. I think the jury made the right decision - you just can't do that - approach a man in dire straights repeatedly with an illegal business proposition until he breaks down and strays from the law.

Similarly, I don't think this guy who was essentially handed all that cash in a casino of all places should be held responsible for accepting the dough and gambling with it. And is it his fault he lost the money gambling? I don't think so.

In any case, I think he has at least an irresistible impulse type defense or even entrapment. If John Z. got off, so can this guy. Of course, he won't have DeLorean's defense team, but still....