Gambling Gets Jamie Oliver’s Manager into the Hot Pot

Jamie Oliver is well known around the globe for his fresh, original approach to cooking, and he has become a household name thanks to his TV shows, cook books and publicity appearances.  Oliver has opened a number of signature restaurants around the globe, hiring local chefs who are then trained to cook in his style.  One of the locations that Oliver opened a restaurant was Australia, and to manage the restaurant, he hired 34 year old Kevin Stralow. 

But now, Stralow seems to have landed in the hot pot after he was arrested for arson and attempting to cover up gambling related theft.  It all began after a fire in Oliver’s restaurant, Fifteen, caused $1.5 million worth of damage. The fire caused serious damage to the Fifteen building, as well as damage to a bar and cafe and an investigation got underway to check its cause.

Closed circuit TV from an adjacent office building showed Stralow entering the restaurant and then leaving it, and then fifteen minutes later, smoke start to billow out from the windows of the building. Further investigation showed that Stralow had accrued gambling debts as a high roller slots  player and had allegedly  been stealing from the restaurant to cover his debts. Prosecutors at his trial claimed that he transferred thousands of dollars from Fifteen to pay for his gambling habits.

However, Stralow’s lawyers have warned the jury that they are relying on circumstantial evidence only, and that they cannot find him guilty for starting the fire or stealing the funds if there is no proof. It stands to reason, however, that the jury will consider the fact that Stralow never banked the funds properly, nor did he keep proper records so that nobody could question the whereabouts of the money. However, when he felt that he couldn’t hid the evidence anymore, he allegedly decided to get rid of everything by starting the fire.

I guess Jamie Oliver will be  looking for a new manager. Anyone want the job?