Two New Jersey women were charged with physically restraining a casino guest at Harrah’s Atlantic City after the victim said he went to a hotel room with them. The man was allegedly restrained, and the women allegedly used his phone’s facial recognition technology, resulting in the theft of $1,250 from the victim.
Restrained During an ‘Act of Sex’ and Robbed
The two women, who allegedly participated in the attack, Veda Engel and Amanda Crafts, have maintained their innocence. Crafts is also a middle school computer teacher, whereas Engel had previously been charged with prostitution at Borgata.
The incident took place on October 9, 2026, and Crafts, 35, of Wildwood, New Jersey, and Engel, 23, of Cape May, now face theft and conspiracy to commit robbery charges. The victim allegedly met with Engel at Caesars Atlantic City and exchanged numbers.
Engel later called him and invited him to join her friend and herself at a room at Harrah’s. The trio went to bed with Engel allegedly performing a “sexual act” with the victim, who says the women stripped him and physically restrained him to the bed.
Engel allegedly told him that it was all he would get for $1,250. Crafts allegedly held the man down while Engel used his phone’s facial recognition technology and quickly made four Apple Pay transactions to her own account. These payments were not consented to, the victim said.
Crafts and Engel have both been released. Crafts explained that she had no prior offenses and that she simply ended up at the wrong time at the wrong place, telling Judge Timothy Maguire during an initial appearance.
Judge Christine Smith, who heard the case on Thursday, October 15, was surprised to find out that Crafts was in fact a teacher. The women are now awaiting trial, and they both need to comply with biweekly court check-ins. The women are to return to employment and not to contact each other or the victim.
