CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — Two men from Arizona are accused of orchestrating a complex gaming fraud scheme that allegedly stole more than $250,000 from a Chesapeake Beach restaurant, according to police records.
Steven Ray Kummerfeld, 65, and Anthony “Tony” Lee Stuart, 58, both of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested earlier this month and charged with multiple counts of theft and computer-related fraud. Detectives allege the pair manipulated electronic pull-tab gaming machines at Trader’s Seafood Steak & Ale, using pre-printed or altered tickets to trigger immediate, high-dollar payouts.
According to court filings, the scheme took place between January and April 2025, with repeated jackpot wins tied to the same player IDs. Detectives with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau, assisted by the FBI’s White-Collar Crimes Squad, said the operation appeared coordinated and deliberate.
Investigators identified Stuart as a former game developer for TEX Game Systems, the company behind the “Lucky Sevens” and “FrankenCash” pull-tab games. A related company, INAMAX Games, confirmed to detectives that Stuart had prior technical access to the game systems allegedly exploited in the fraud.
Authorities say the investigation began after Trader’s owner noticed unusual payouts and contacted law enforcement. On Nov. 10, 2025, detectives confronted the two men after they allegedly returned to the restaurant. Both were taken into custody after officers found multiple fraudulent tickets and matching gaming data.
Court documents estimate the loss to Trader’s and affiliated gaming vendors exceeded $250,000.
Both suspects were booked into the Calvert County Detention Center and initially held without bond. Court records show bail reviews for both were held on Nov. 13, 2025, before Judge Michelle R. Saunders.
Stuart is charged with theft scheme over $100,000, computer/data alteration over $10,000, and related theft counts. Kummerfeld faces theft over $100,000, theft between $1,500 and $25,000, and theft scheme charges.
Preliminary hearings for both cases are scheduled in December 2025 in Calvert County District Court in Prince Frederick.
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All of a sudden my skin started to crawl .
Greed…catches a thief almost every time.
Wow! Stuart is former game developer for TEX Game Systems? I’d guess he was the janitor or something. I’m sorry janitors, I don’t mean to disparage the work y’all do.
Phoenix is a long way from home.
Wonder why they choose Southern Maryland or why they kept hitting the same location.
There is definitely more to the story.
At their age they should be coming out of prison not going it. Your age should protect you,and be a deterrent. Why did they think they would be successful. Greed.Such a sad day.
They were successful. Didn’t you read the story? If they just left instead of returning again they would be home.
Sandra said ” Why did they think they would be successful. ”
She didn’t say they were successful .
I’ d say you are the one whom has reading comprehension issues “obviously”
That man cannot even straighten out his spine. Convenient they are both from Arizona. Were they extradited from home? Were they physically at the location when the payouts were made? The restaurant didn’t remember these two getting several large payouts consisting of tens of thousands?
I would look at the other locations that the gaming devices are installed as well. These men might have been asked by someone else to cash in the tickets and paid them to travel and probably have used other places the games are located as well and likely use different people at each location.
I just can’t fathom any situation where these men would be able to walk into a restaurant over and over and over with giant payout tickets and no one remembers them from last time.
Really odd.
I’m going to thief myself I steal money from Las Vegas all the time and I love it and I’ll never get caught I’m a very smart Sicilian from Bensonhurst Brooklyn you talk about Justice the ones who put up the gambling machines are the thieves they’re stealing money from you you can’t see that
I think that Keyser Soze pose is gonna let him walk.
Stuart may originally be from Notre Dame.