"They have probably done this before": Oconomowoc Police Ask Public for Help IDing Video Poker Theft Suspects

Authorities in Oconomowoc say it appears two suspects had experience* in recent thefts targeting video poker machines at a local restaurant.

The two men even glued the equipment back together to hid the damage they caused, Oconomowoc Police Chief Ron Buerger said.

It took the owner of the machines a few days to figure out he'd even been hit. In total, about $1,250 dollar had been taken, Buerger said.

But surveillance camera footage revealed how it happened.

On April 18 at about 7:10 p.m. the suspects entered The Cornerstone Sports Pub & Eatery and had a drink, Buerger said.

\"They sat in the bar for approximately and hour, an hour twenty minutes, we assume, waiting for the right opportunity,\" Buerger said.

\"One subject is seen handing an instrument off to the other subject - a long tool - at which point he pries the top of the video poker machine open, removes the money, hands the took back to the other subject, and then they super-glued the top of the machine back down,\" Buerger said.

On April 21, long after the men were gone, the owner of the four machines noticed the games were not working correctly. He found an estimated $1,000 worth of damage, Buerger said.

No employees recognized the suspects when they reviewed the security footage. Now police want the public to help I.D. them to protect other games and equipment in the area.

\"This is the first time that we've had an incident of this type. however, based on the level of organization that these two subjects seemed to have, we're led to believe that they've done this at other places in the past,\" Buerger said.

Bar management could not be reached for comment, but they told police there were no threats when it happened.

If arrested the suspects could be charged with theft of money and criminal damage to property, Buerger said.

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