(AsiaGameHub) –   A man from Washington accused of cheating coin pusher machines at Northern Quest Resort and Casino is scheduled for trial on May 26, after prosecutors say he used a hidden vibrating device to trigger machine payouts.

Good to Know

• Jeremiah Kevin Villegas was already barred from all properties managed by the Kalispel Tribal Gaming Agency.
• Prosecutors state the suspected coin pusher cheating occurred between August 26 and September 3.
• He currently faces one count of second degree cheating and one count of second degree burglary.

Prosecutors Confirm Coin Pushers Were the Target

Jeremiah Kevin Villegas, 33, is accused of returning to Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, despite being issued a 99-year ban from Kalispel Tribal Gaming Agency properties.

According to the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Office, Villegas used a concealed vibrating device while playing the casino’s coin pushers. The Spokesman Review reported he would first cash out, then press against the sides of the machines to trigger extra rounds and additional payouts.

Court documents referenced by the outlet show surveillance footage captured Villegas keeping his hands inside his sweatshirt pocket. Video also reportedly shows him kicking the sides of the coin pusher machines.

Kalispel Tribal Gaming Agency agents reportedly monitored the suspicious activity over a nine-day period. Villegas was arrested on October 12 and originally faced 14 counts each of second degree burglary and first degree cheating.

Charges in the case were later narrowed to one count of second degree cheating and one count of second degree burglary. In Washington, second degree cheating carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail. A conviction for first degree cheating would have carried a maximum sentence of up to five years.

The agency first banned Villegas last June over alleged assaults, threats, and “pushing and kicking” of casino machines starting in 2024. Court records also note he threatened the agency via phone and email after a slot shift manager contacted him about his behavior.

Villegas was arraigned on November 5. According to the Spokesman Review, his bond was set at $5,000 during his April 13 court appearance, and he remains incarcerated at Geiger Corrections Center.

Casino cheating cases are rare in Spokane County. The local prosecutor’s office has handled only three such cases over the past six years.

If you’d like to find locations of coin pushers across the U.S., we publish a full list of all casinos that offer coin pushers.