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OMAHA, Neb (Gambling911.com) - An Omaha, Nebraska-area youth baseball organizer is accused of defrauding at least 17 families.
Sam Leng faces a theft by deception charge after families from the Omaha Nighthawks youth baseball team raised concerns in February. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office filed the charges against Leng late last week.
The families each paid $1,250 for their sons to play on a 14-and-under team.
Shortly after receiving the payments, Hollibaugh said Leng emailed the families, stating he was dissolving the organization and promising refunds that never came.
Investigators found that between July 2022 and November 2022, Leng collected over $18,000 from the victims and that money was mostly used towards fueling his gambling addiction.
When investigators met with Leng in July, they said he admitted to having a gambling addiction, using the payments for gambling, and told them he "could not afford to replace them."
Leng turned himself into Douglas County deputies on Tuesday.
He is the only person charged as of August 11. While 17 families have been identified, investigators noted that the team included at least 40 youth players, suggesting there could be additional victims.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
