Teacher fired after Atlantic City arrest
A Middle Township educator and her friend face charges after allegedly holding a man in a hotel room and charging him via Apple Pay.
By Neha Kapoor ·
Amanda Crafts, a 35-year-old computer teacher in Middle Township, New Jersey, lost her job this month following her arrest in a suspected prostitution ring at an Atlantic City resort. The incident involved her and a friend, Veda Engel, who allegedly restrained a male victim and extracted payment through his mobile wallet.
The events unfolded on Oct. 9 at a bar within a hotel resort. Police reports indicate the victim exchanged contact information with Engel before meeting both women in their hotel room. Once inside, the pair stripped the man and pinned him to the bed, according to the complaint filed by detectives.
Engel performed sexual acts on the restrained man before stopping to demand payment. She stated, "That’s what you get for $1,250," according to the affidavit. While Crafts held the victim down, Engel used his facial recognition feature to unlock his phone. She then completed four separate Apple Pay transactions totaling $1,250 to her own account, which the detective described as transactions made without consent.
Crafts was identified as a computer teacher in the special area department at Middle Township Middle School, a position she held for several years. She has four children and had no prior arrests. During her first court appearance via video from the Atlantic County Justice Facility, she told Judge Timothy Maguire that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Middle Township school district confirmed her termination on Oct. 19.
Engel, 23, of Cape May, has a prior record involving similar allegations. In December of last year, she allegedly offered sex to an undercover state police detective for $1,000 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. She was released on a summons at that time. She currently works for a commercial cleaning company in Ocean City.
Both women were held for nearly a week before being released on pretrial conditions on Oct. 15. The state agreed to their release with the requirement that they check in with the court every other week.
Source: Fox News
