Prison Time for Former Washington State Employee Who Embezzled $900K
Summary
Former Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings employee Matthew Randall Ping was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and filing a false tax return for stealing nearly $900,000 from the state. The embezzlement, which prosecutors say totalled $878,115, was carried out by abusing his role as credit card custodian: Ping created accounts that appeared legitimate, charged OAH cards to vendor accounts he controlled, and approved his own transactions.
Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright acknowledged Ping’s severe gambling addiction as a driving factor and urged him to help others facing similar issues. Ping has agreed to repay full restitution of $1,118,362 to the state, its insurer and the IRS, and will serve three years of supervised release after prison. The case also cost taxpayers about $250,000 in unpaid taxes because Ping did not report the stolen income.
Key Points
- Ping stole approximately $878,115 from the Washington State OAH over several years by abusing credit card access and approving his own transactions.
- The court sentenced him to 18 months in prison; he also faces three years of supervised release and must pay $1,118,362 in restitution.
- Much of the money was used to fund a gambling addiction, including multiple trips to Las Vegas and paying off a luxury car loan.
- Approximately $250,000 in tax revenue was lost because the stolen funds were not reported to the IRS.
- Judge Cartwright highlighted the role of addiction and encouraged Ping to help raise awareness of gambling support services.
Context and Relevance
This case is notable both for the size of the theft — one of the largest insider embezzlement sums in the past 15 years — and for what it exposes about internal controls and support for employees with gambling problems. Organisations with access to corporate or public funds should take this as a reminder to tighten approval processes, separate duties, and ensure better support pathways for staff experiencing addiction or mental-health issues.
Why should I read this?
Short version: it’s a messy cautionary tale. Big money, poor controls and a gambling addiction created the perfect storm — and taxpayers paid. If you care about public-sector accountability, risk controls or gambling harm, this story saves you time by boiling down who did what, how they got away with it, and what happened next.
Author note
Punchy: Big theft, human cost, clear lessons. Worth a read if you follow public finance, compliance or gambling-harm policy.
