Penn National Bookkeeper Charged With Diverting Over $727,000 From Racebook

A part-time bookkeeper at Hollywood Casino Penn National Race Course in Grantville allegedly ran a nine-month scheme that funneled $727,446.65 out of the property's racebook through fictitious accounts, and the whole thing unraveled only because a fill-in employee noticed the books didn't add up while Petrillo was on medical leave.

Jennifer Petrillo, 53, formerly of Palmyra and now living in Manheim, was charged on March 11 with nine felonies including theft, computer trespassing, forgery, and unlawful use of a computer. She was arraigned the following day before Magisterial District Judge Dale E. Klein, who set bail at $10,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 24.

Pennsylvania State Police say the discrepancies date to June 2024, shortly after Petrillo began her tenure with Penn National. Petrillo was one of only three employees with access to the bookkeeping software, and her position gave her the authority to issue physical checks on the casino's behalf. That combination of narrow access and check-writing power, investigators say, is what made the alleged scheme possible.

The investigation formally launched on March 17, 2025, when casino management contacted Pennsylvania State Police after the fill-in employee flagged what the PSP described as "fictitious accounts, unidentified person(s) and/or businesses, improperly completed paperwork, and numerous suspicious transactions completed on software resulting in suspicious movement and issuing of a significant amount of money." Police found several accounts carrying negative balances in the tens of thousands of dollars and numerous accounts that other casino employees simply did not recognize.

One account tied to the suspicious checks was a particular window into where the money allegedly went: transactions included luxury spa treatments, LEGO purchases, a Tesla Model 3, plastic surgeries, Robinhood investment deposits, and Cash App transfers. Several checks were issued to unknown accounts and multiple individuals, according to police.

At least one source citing PSP charging documents alleges that Petrillo diverted the funds to personal accounts she and an accomplice controlled, though no accomplice has been publicly identified or charged. Other reporting attributes the diverted funds solely to Petrillo. That discrepancy, along with questions about whether any of the $727,446.65 has been recovered, remains unresolved in publicly available records.

Petrillo's alleged fraud spanned from mid-2024 through March 17, 2025, the same date police were called to the casino. The charges represent a significant breach of trust at a property where just three people held the keys to the financial software governing the racebook's entire bookkeeping operation. Whether internal controls at Hollywood Casino Penn National have been revised since the investigation began is not something the casino has publicly addressed.