Anthony Lee Stuart, 51, of Tempe, Arizona, and Steven Ray Kummerfeld, 65, of Phoenix, Arizona
Two Arizona men have been charged in Calvert County in connection with what authorities say was a sophisticated scheme that defrauded a local restaurant and gaming establishment of more than $250,000.
Anthony Lee Stuart, 51, of Tempe, Arizona, and Steven Ray Kummerfeld, 65, of Phoenix, Arizona, were arrested on November 10, 2025, and face multiple charges including theft scheme over $100,000, conspiracy to commit theft, computer-related fraud, and multiple counts of theft between $1,500 and $25,000. The charges stem from an ongoing investigation led by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office into suspicious activity at Traders Seafood Steak Ale, located in Chesapeake Beach.
The investigation began in April 2025 when staff at Traders noticed unusually frequent jackpot-level payouts from certain instant bingo pull-tab machines, including “Lucky Sevens” and “Franken Cash.” These machines are regulated by the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency. Restaurant staff observed a group of individuals, including Stuart and Kummerfeld, visiting frequently, targeting specific machines, and winning large sums of money at an abnormal rate. Machine audit logs reviewed from January through April 2025 showed “Net Win” percentages on some days exceeding 200%, meaning the machines were paying out $2.85 for every dollar played, far above the expected payout range of 85% to 95%.
On November 10, 2025, the owner of Traders contacted the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office after observing Stuart return to the establishment and begin playing the same gaming machines. Luckett reported that Stuart used his cell phone while playing and did not identify himself or give any explanation for his presence. Deputies detained Stuart as he exited the building. Stuart told deputies he was “at Traders on business related to the gaming machines” and instructed them to “contact Gary or Mary.” Luckett disputed this, stating that Stuart had not identified himself or spoken to staff upon entering. Shortly after Stuart’s arrival, Luckett received a call from Chris Lulek, identified as Stuart’s employer and owner of TEX Game Systems. Lulek said Stuart was not in the office due to dentist and doctor appointments, which Luckett knew to be false.
Following Stuart’s detention, Traders staff examined the machines he had used and identified six counterfeit voucher tickets, each worth $500. According to Luckett, the tickets were not generated by the establishment’s machines and lacked legitimate time stamps and disclaimers. Two customers observed the machines behaving unusually while Stuart played, including him pulling and reinserting tickets repeatedly. Surveillance video also showed Stuart with a second man described as an older, thin white male wearing camouflage-style clothing and a hat and sunglasses. This man left before law enforcement arrived and was initially unidentified.
That same day, detectives located the second man at the Rod ‘N’ Reel Resort. He was identified as Steven Ray Kummerfeld, a resident of the same apartment complex as Stuart in Phoenix. Kummerfeld was arrested while checking into the resort, and a $1 voucher from Traders was found in his possession. A partial audit conducted by Traders revealed that Stuart had used seven fictitious $500 vouchers totaling $3,500 and cashed out four more totaling $2,361.60. Kummerfeld used a $500 fake voucher and cashed one for $647, bringing the total known loss for that day to $7,008.60. Investigators noted this did not include additional unreconciled losses believed to be tied to remote software manipulation and fraudulent ticket injections.
While in custody, Stuart complained he could not breathe and was transported to the hospital. After his release, Detective Mudd conducted an audio- and video-recorded interview with him. During that interview, Stuart admitted that he had printed over 200 fake gaming tickets in Arizona and brought them to Maryland for use at Traders. He stated he began remotely accessing the gaming server around September 2024 to manipulate ticket values and increase payouts. Stuart admitted that he had stolen over $250,000 during the scheme. He claimed that his accomplices were unaware of the manipulation but said that approximately twelve people had assisted him in some capacity. Initially, he told investigators he committed the fraud to obtain money for medication related to an illness, but he later admitted he used the money to “party” or gave it away to strangers.
Kummerfeld declined to make a statement and was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center for processing. Court records show that Stuart was later granted a $50,000 bond, while Kummerfeld remains held without bond pending further proceedings. Both are scheduled to appear in court in December 2025 at the District Court in Prince Frederick.
Anthony Lee Stuart, 51, of Tempe, Arizona
Steven Ray Kummerfeld, 65, of Phoenix, Arizona
