Yokosuka Heist: Filipina Nabbed in KC for $100K Naval Base Theft

KANSAS CITY, MO – Cynthia Lopez Creseni is facing federal charges after allegedly pilfering nearly $100,000 from the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) fund at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. The Filipina national, who initially fled to the Philippines to evade authorities, was apprehended in Overland Park, Kansas, and remains in federal custody.

United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Tammy Dickinson, announced today that Creseni has been charged with theft of public money. The criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, details the alleged theft of $99,068 – a sum comprised of both U.S. dollars and Japanese yen (¥ 1,620,000). A detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, 2017.

The scheme allegedly unfolded at the Yokosuka Naval Base where Creseni had been employed since 2000, most recently as the lead cashier in the base’s game/slot room. According to an affidavit supporting the complaint, the theft came to light after Creseni reported funds missing from her assigned safe following a vacation to the United States in February 2015. She vehemently denied any involvement. The missing funds included approximately $85,500 in U.S. currency.

Investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) quickly zeroed in on Creseni, but their attempts to question her at her Japanese residence proved futile. She had already vanished, selling her home and relocating to the Philippines. Despite a search across the Pacific, authorities were unable to locate her until learning she’d entered the United States on July 15, 2015. Her luck ran out on January 24, 2017, when federal agents located and arrested her in Overland Park, Kansas, initially for immigration violations related to overstaying her visa.

Interviews with Creseni’s colleagues hinted at potential financial troubles, suggesting a possible motive for the alleged theft. Dickinson was quick to emphasize that the charges are merely accusations at this stage. “The charge contained in this complaint is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt,” she stated. The burden of proof rests with the prosecution, who must convince a federal jury of Creseni’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being spearheaded by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Moore, with crucial investigative work provided by NCIS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it develops, bringing you the unvarnished truth from the federal courthouse.