New Jersey Educator: Fired After Casino Robbery

A computer teacher in Middle Township, New Jersey, lost her job after police arrested her in connection with a robbery at an Atlantic City casino hotel. The incident occurred on Oct. 9, and the school district confirmed her termination on Oct. 19.

Police said a male victim met Amanda Crafts, 35, and her friend Veda Engel, 23, at a bar in a hotel resort. After exchanging numbers with Engel, the victim met the two women in their room. According to the police complaint, the women stripped the victim and restrained him to the bed.

Engel forced sexual acts on the victim before stopping and stating, “That’s what you get for $1,250.” While Crafts held the victim down, Engel used his facial recognition to unlock his phone. She made four separate Apple Pay transactions to her account, totaling $1,250. A detective wrote in the affidavits that these transactions were “made without his consent in exchange for sexual acts.”

Crafts works in the special area department at Middle Township Middle School. She has four children and had no prior arrests. During her first court appearance, she told Judge Timothy Maguire that she was a teacher and had never been arrested before. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Crafts said via video from the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Engel, who resides in Cape May, was also charged in the incident. Her attorney said she works at SoFresh SoClean Commercial Cleaning in Ocean City. Engel has a history of prostitution-related charges. In December of last year, she allegedly offered an undercover New Jersey State Police detective sex for $1,000 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. She was released on a summons for that incident.

Both women were released on Oct. 15 after being held for nearly a week. The state consented to their pretrial release, requiring them to check in with the court every other week. Superintendent Stephanie DeRose stated in a district statement that their responsibility is to protect students and ensure those entrusted with caring for children meet expected standards. “The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority,” DeRose said.

The victim reported the incident to police after the encounter. The school district acknowledged the arrest of a Middle Township teacher and confirmed the employee had been fired. Crafts and Engel remain under pretrial conditions as the case proceeds.