Jack in the Box Manager Admits Stealing $232K to Feed Gambling Addiction

A former Jack in the Box manager admitted in a California court this week that he stole more than $232,000 from the fast-food restaurant to cover his gambling debts. A Jack in the Box is pictured on Sept. 12, 2020, in Redondo Beach, Calif. A former manager of a Jack in the Box in Redwood City stole over $232K during a seven-month period to gamble. (Image: Shutterstock) On Tuesday (Oct. 20), Juan Jose Antonio Vanegas, 30, pleaded no contest to felony embezzlement by an employee. Vanegas has previously pleaded not guilty. In exchange for his no-contest plea, prosecutors in San Mateo County agreed to strike an enhancement charge that would have asked Judge Jeffrey Jackson to impose a maximum sentence if found guilty. At his sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 10, the judge will instead be asked to sentence Vanegas to up to one year in county jail and no state prison time. In California, an employee convicted of felony embezzlement of more than $200,000 can be sentenced to over two years in state prison. Theft Linked to Gambling Court records show that Vanegas was a manager at the Jack in the Box in Redwood City located at 986 Woodside Road. During his employment, Vanegas admitted to stealing at least $232,282 from the fast-food restaurant, with nearly all of the money going to support the defendant’s “gambling problem.” A criminal investigation concluded that Vanegas failed to make 120 bank deposits of restaurant revenue, instead keeping the cash for himself. The theft took place over a seven-month period between Jan. 1, 2025, and Aug. 1, 2025. The embezzlement was discovered by the business accountant,” prosecutors said. The accountant reported the suspected theft to the general manager of the Jack in the Box location. Law enforcement did not specify the exact casinos or gambling platforms Vanegas used. While Redwood City, located in Silicon Valley, is not near any tribal casinos, several cardrooms operate just a short drive away. Online sweepstakes casinos were also in operation in California during Vanegas’ theft. The controversial online gambling websites were outlawed by California lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) effective Jan. 1, 2026. Vanegas remains free until his sentencing on a recognizance bond. Not Jack in the Box’s First Gambling Scandal In February 2013, former San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor was charged in federal court with money laundering. The widow of Jack in the Box founder Robert Peterson later admitted to stealing money from her late husband’s charity, the R.P. Foundation, to fuel a gambling addiction. After gambling away her $40 million inheritance, O’Connor tapped into the charitable funds. She ultimately resolved the charges through an agreement requiring her to repay the $2 million she stole from the charity. O’Connor blamed a brain tumor removed in 2011 for worsening her gambling addiction. The post Jack in the Box Manager Admits Stealing $232K to Feed Gambling Addiction appeared first on Casino.org.