SARATOGA SPRINGS – A Saratoga Springs business owner is suing the city, an officer with the city’s police department, Saratoga Casino Hotel and two casino employees for no less than $1 million in damages after, she claims, she was falsely arrested.
Miranda Sanders claims that she was unlawfully arrested by Saratoga Springs Police officer Kristopher Camarro after a cashier at the casino overpaid her for her ticket winnings, according to her lawsuit filing Nov. 4 in U.S. District Court. She’s being represented by attorney Brian C. Mahoney of Lippes Mathias, a law firm with offices in New York City, Chicago and other cities.
On Feb. 15, 2021, Sanders’s suit says, she cashed in four lottery tickets and was handed an extra $850 on top of her winnings. Sanders said she told the cashier she believed she had been given too much money, to which the cashier replied “No, that’s right,” court documents state.
That same day, casino employee Eileen Cotter called Sanders regarding the mix up and indicated Sanders needed to repay the casino, according to her lawsuit. On March 1, 2021, Sanders went to the casino to speak with Director of Security Edward Moore, a former chief of the Saratoga Springs Police Department, about the matter but left after she said she waited for some time and Moore had not spoken to her.
Four days later, on March 5, 2021, Moore referred the matter to the city police department, the lawsuit says. While police had the case, Sanders continued to receive calls from the casino and hired a lawyer to verify the amount she was overpaid, get copies of the tickets and other information, according to the court documents.
Four days after receiving the case, Camarro spoke to Saratoga County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Fradino and indicated that the cashier at the casino had accidentally counted a ticket twice and overpaid Sanders, court documents state.
During that conversation, which had been tape-recorded, Fradino indicated that Sanders could not be charged because “she did nothing wrong.” According to the court documents, Camarro agreed with Fradino but then on March 13 told Sanders she would be charged if she didn’t return the money.
Then in April, Camarro drafted a complaint against Sanders and a warrant for Sanders’ arrest was executed on April 13, 2021 for petit larceny, and then subsequently on June 24, 2021, due to the first one having an inaccurate birthdate.
“Both warrants were issued with knowledge that probable cause that a crime was committed was wholly lacking,” court documents state. “In addition, Officer Camarro deliberately failed to inform the Honorable Jeffrey Wait, Judge of Saratoga Springs City Court, that the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office has told officer Camarro that he could not charge Ms. Sanders under the circumstances and that no crime had been committed.”
Sanders turned herself into city police on Oct. 21, 2021, to avoid being picked up by police and was placed in a city police lockup with other people who had been arrested from 9 a.m. to almost noon before appearing in city court where she pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.
Sanders said the news of her arrest was embarrassing and humiliating. The charges against her were dismissed in January.
Sanders is now suing for damages due to loss of liberty while she was held in the city police lockup, anxiety she now suffers from the arrest, damage to her reputation and loss of business to her butcher shop.
Claims in the lawsuit allege violations of her Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments and that the city of Saratoga Springs is liable because it failed to properly hire, train, supervise and discipline the officer involved and that the officers statements in the warrants for her arrest defamed her.
“The conduct as alleged in the complaint is very serious,” said Mahoney, Sanders’ lawsuit.
The casino did not return a request for comment.
Saratoga Springs Police Public Information Officer Paul Veitch referred comments to the city attorney, who did not return a request for comment. Mayor Ron Kim said he could not comment because he has not been made aware that a lawsuit has been filed.
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