A Sun Valley man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after stealing more than $700,000 from multiple casinos.
According to the Washoe County District Attorney's Office, 61-year-old Thomas Tonar was sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison: six to 20 years concurrently for four counts of embezzlement valued at $100,000 or more, and two to 10 years consecutively for two counts of embezzlement valued under $100,000. He will be eligible for parole after serving at least eight years.
Tonar worked at Dotty’s Casino in 2025, and Sparks police were called to one of the locations in June after reports of missing money.
Surveillance footage showed Tonar taking cash from the office and other Dotty’s locations. Detectives from Sparks and Reno police found Tonar had embezzled from six casinos, totaling $714,713.59.
Tonar left Nevada and traveled to California, where he was arrested at a Sacramento motel a few days later in a joint law enforcement operation. Officers recovered $677,069 of the stolen funds along with three guns.
At sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Amos Stege noted the significance of gaming in Nevada and cited greed as the motive. Victims spoke about the impact on employees who rely on tips. The Honorable Barry Breslow presided over the case and imposed the sentence.
