Wednesday, February 20th 2019, 10:15 pm
An auto mechanic who recently bonded out of jail is now accused of spending money that belongs to his customers.
Keith Wheeler is accused of bilking his customers out of thousands of dollars after they paid for work he never finished.
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One woman, who did not want to be identified, told News 9 that cash now belongs to several local casinos.
The woman said she also enjoyed gambling, and often saw Wheeler and his wife at the slot machines. She said she assumed he was a high roller, until she saw his face on the news.
“I just thought it was some belligerent drunk, but I saw his picture on the news and I thought, that's that guy,” said the woman.
She said much like herself, Wheeler is no stranger to the casinos.
“He was bragging to the people around them about how much cash he’s been putting into the machine,” said the woman.
She says she was on a machine next to Wheeler and his wife one night when he became belligerent, claiming to have lost $7,000 to the slot machines.
“It looked like he was yelling at the employees because he had a few thousand dollars in the machine, and it wasn’t paying him back,” said the woman.
But instead of quitting, the woman says Wheeler's wife consoled him.
“She reached into her purse and gave him another wad of money,” said the woman.
She says Wheeler’s wife then told him to try his luck again.
“She was telling him to be quiet, go play some games, go back on the slot machine he was on,” said the woman.
She says she once overheard Wheeler break down after losing big, telling those around him he was giving up all together.
“He was broke and how he was going to kill himself or something like that,” said the woman.
Since his arrest, police say 10 more victims have come forward, bringing the total to 20.
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But according to the woman, Wheeler hasn't learned his lesson. She says just days after bonding out of jail, he was back at the casino trying to win big.
“I recognized him and thought this guy has the nerve to come up here after he’s been on the news saying he was arrested,” said the woman.
According to police, several casino tickets were recovered following a raid at Wheeler’s shop, Patriot Auto.
February 20th, 2019
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