Middle school computer teacher fired after $1,250 casino heist

A $1,250 theft from a single Apple Pay account became the centerpiece of a criminal complaint against two women in Atlantic City. Amanda Crafts, 35, a computer teacher in Wildwood Crest, and Veda Engel, 23, of Cape May, face charges related to an incident that occurred on Oct. 9 at a casino hotel resort.

The timeline of the arrest began when the victim met the two women at a bar. After exchanging contact information with Engel, the victim entered their hotel room. Police reports state that the women stripped the victim and pinned him to the bed. Engel performed sexual acts on the man before ending the encounter by saying, “That’s what you get for $1,250.”

While Crafts held the victim down, Engel used his facial recognition to unlock his phone. She completed four separate Apple Pay transactions to her own account, totaling the full amount. A detective noted in affidavits that the transfers were made without the victim’s consent in exchange for the sexual acts.

Crafts appeared in court on Oct. 19 via video from the Atlantic County Justice Facility. She told Judge Timothy Maguire that she had four children and had never been arrested before. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said. The Middle Township school district confirmed her termination on the same day, citing the need to protect students and ensure staff meet professional standards.

Engel’s history includes a prior prostitution-related charge from December of last year. In that case, she allegedly offered an undercover state trooper sex for $1,000 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. She was released on a summons at the time. Her current attorney stated that she works for SoFresh SoClean Commercial Cleaning in Ocean City.

Both women were released from custody on Oct. 15 after being held for nearly a week. The state agreed to their pretrial release, which requires them to check in with the court every other week. Crafts continues to work in the school’s special area department, according to the district website.

The next scheduled court appearances are set for the following week, where the defense and prosecution will present further details of the case.