A New Jersey middle school teacher has lost her job after being accused of helping another woman rob a man during an alleged prostitution encounter at an Atlantic City casino hotel. But the former educator insists she was simply out partying and had no idea a crime was taking place.
Amanda Crafts, 35, a former computer teacher at Middle Township Middle School, was arrested alongside Veda Engel, 23, after a man accused the pair of restraining him inside a hotel room and using his own phone to transfer $1,250 from his account.
The unusual incident allegedly unfolded during the early morning hours of October 9, after the three met at Caesars Atlantic City.
According to a criminal complaint, the unidentified man exchanged phone numbers with Engel at the casino bar. She later contacted him and invited him to a room at Harrah’s Resort, where investigators say the encounter quickly took an unexpected turn.
The man told police that he accompanied the women to the hotel room expecting a sexual encounter. Once inside, however, he claimed Crafts helped restrain him while Engel accessed his cellphone.
Investigators allege that Engel held the phone in front of the man’s face, using its facial-recognition feature to unlock the device before opening Apple Pay.
She then allegedly transferred a total of $1,250 to her own account through four separate transactions without his permission.
The man claimed Crafts held him down during the transfers, preventing him from stopping the alleged theft.
But Crafts and her attorney tell a dramatically different story.
Her lawyer, Charles Peruto Jr., insists his client had no involvement in the alleged robbery and was completely unaware that Engel had arranged a meeting involving prostitution.
According to Peruto, Crafts met the man and Engel at Caesars and believed the group was simply heading to another hotel to continue their night out.
He said she never agreed to participate in any illegal activity.
“Amanda Crafts is highly intelligent and wouldn’t participate in anything like that,” Peruto told the New York Post, describing his client as deeply embarrassed by the allegations.
The attorney also denied that Crafts physically restrained the man, arguing that the complaint presents an inaccurate version of what happened inside the room.
He further claimed the disagreement began after the man became upset about how quickly the sexual encounter ended.
That explanation remains the defense’s account and has not been established as fact.
Atlantic City police responded to Harrah’s around 1:30 a.m. on October 9 after receiving the man’s complaint.
Following their investigation, officers arrested Crafts and Engel on robbery and conspiracy charges. Engel was additionally charged with prostitution.
The two women were held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility before being released on October 15, according to state records.
During an initial court appearance, Crafts reportedly told the judge that she had never been arrested before and believed she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The mother of four expressed distress over the situation as the case began attracting considerable public attention.
The controversy soon reached the school where Crafts had worked for approximately a decade.
Middle Township Middle School serves students in Cape May County, where Crafts had taught computer classes since 2016.
After news of her arrest became public, Superintendent Stephanie DeRose notified families that a district employee had been arrested in connection with an incident outside the county.
The superintendent emphasized that the allegations did not involve students or any reported misconduct on school property.
However, the situation took another turn on October 19, when the district announced that Crafts was no longer employed.
In a letter to families and staff, DeRose acknowledged concerns surrounding the arrest but explained that employee privacy laws prevented the district from discussing personnel matters in detail.
The announcement ended Crafts’ employment with the district as she prepared to defend herself against the criminal charges.
Meanwhile, investigators have also examined Engel’s previous legal history.
According to local reporting, Engel faced a prostitution-related charge in December 2025 after allegedly offering sexual services to an undercover New Jersey State Police detective at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa.
That earlier accusation is separate from the current case and does not establish guilt in the alleged Harrah’s robbery.
The latest incident has drawn attention partly because of the unusual way the money was allegedly taken.
Police say the man’s cellphone was unlocked using facial recognition, allowing the suspect to access a digital payment service without obtaining his password.
The case illustrates how access to an unlocked smartphone can expose sensitive financial information, particularly when someone gains physical control of the device.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed whether surveillance footage, cellphone records or additional witnesses will play a role in the prosecution.
Both women are expected to return to court in November as the criminal proceedings continue.
Crafts maintains that she did not participate in the alleged theft and was unaware of any prostitution arrangement.