Former Senator and Casino Owner Pleading Guilty to Fraud Possibly in the Millions

Former New Hampshire State Sen. and founder of the now-shuttered Concord Casino Andy Sanborn will plead guilty to misappropriating COVID relief funds.

The 64-year-old is reportedly ready to accept punishment for spending $255,000 on personal expenditures, court documents obtained by the Concord Monitor show. Among items purchased by Sanborn was a 2006 Porsche Cayman, which ran him $48,750 in January 2022.

His plea agreement will send him to jail for one year and one day. He will also be required to repay the $255,232.72 in misused funds.

Ready to plead guilty

Sanborn was arrested on Oct. 16, 2024, at which time he was charged by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office with felony theft by deception. 

Fast forward to May 26, and the former government official was charged with one count of theft of government funds in the U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire. 

Prosecutors allege that Sanborn applied for and received a $844,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan during the pandemic. They also say that he promised that the funds would be used for his business, Win Win Win, which operated under the name Concord Casino. 

He initially strongly denied any wrongdoing after New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella revealed the allegations three years ago, the same time the state revoked his casino operator’s license.

Sanborn’s plea agreement protects the casino and his wife, former state Rep. Laurie Sanborn. 

He faced a possible sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever was greater. The plea agreement significantly reduces his stay behind bars, although he is still responsible for paying back the money he received and improperly used.

A litany of accusations

While federal charges only note the purchase of a Porssche, additional documents suggest that Sanborn purchased a second Porsche and a Ferrari for his wife. The three cars supposedly cost a combined $181,000.

Additionally, Sanborn is accused of spending $183,500 in rent payments for his businesses, $45,000 on car parts and services, and almost $30,000 for engineering on a construction connected to his casino, New Hampshire Lottery Commission records show.

He’s also up against criminal charges in state court for allegedly defrauding a different pandemic assistance program for state businesses in 2020. Those charges assert that he fudged his casino’s gross receipts by approximately $1 million in order to receive an extra $188,474 from the “Main Street Relief Fund.”

The federal action is part of President Trump’s administration’s goal of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s office also began taking fraud cases since the early days of the pandemic, securing guilty pleas from at least 15 individuals in New Hampshire in the time since. Several cases involved the same program that Sanborn allegedly defrauded.

Sanborn opened the Concord Casino in Oct. 2019 as a charitable gaming property, meaning it was required to donate a portion of its revenue to registered non-profit organizations. The casino offered blackjack, roulette, and poker under state gaming laws.

The New Hampshire Lottery Commissioner ordered the casino to shut down operations on Jan. 1, 2024, after Sanborn’s license was revoked. 

Sanborn’s case will progress to jury selection in September and trial next February.