The most successful frauds are often extremely simple, and many are devoid of originality and imagination. One can marvel at how such banality could have become successful at major casinos with numerous security officers, up-to-date video surveillance systems, and experienced managers.
Something like that happened in offline casinos in several Ohio cities and other U.S. states. However, due to the peculiar circumstances of the case, the scale of the incident isn't easy to estimate.
A gang of cheaters robbed casinos while playing roulette. Interestingly, the scammers did not reinvent the wheel and distracted the attention of dealers, pit bosses, and managers to steal chips from the table.
The members' roles were carefully thought out, and their actions were well-orchestrated, allowing them to cheat the casinos successfully. As a result, justice finally caught up with them, but it seems that most gamblers managed to avoid the deserved punishment.
However, let's discuss everything step by step...
Participants in the Fraud
According to Karen Huey from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the gang consisted of several dozen people (from fifty to seventy, as may be supposed). Most were Dominicans and immigrants from the Dominican Republic living in New York.
Initially, they were noticed in Horseshoe Casino and three other gambling houses in Ohio. Yet, the police had reason to believe that their activities covered gambling houses in eighteen other U.S. states.
What Did the Roulette Scammers Do?
The cheaters worked in an incredibly primitive manner but followed a very effective scheme used by fraudsters worldwide.
- The scammers started to play roulette making low bets, like one-dollar chips.
- They selected the most crowded tables to have the opportunity to mingle in the mass.
- Choosing the right moments, some gang members distracted the attention of casino employees using various methods.
- Meanwhile, the other cheaters deftly pocketed chips from the table.
As Einstein once said:
No one can win at roulette unless he steals money from the table while the croupier isn't looking.
After some time, fraudsters went to the toilet or lounge area with stolen chips, where they could hand them over to their accomplices. However, they did not hasten to cash them out. First, the fraudsters exchanged them at the tables for high-denomination chips to foul the trail, and then they cashed out money.
The scammers were not greedy. They followed their plan carefully, fulfilled their role, and frequently changed casinos. Thanks to a well-thought-out scheme and their skills, they have not been caught.
Arrest and Investigation
Yet, what goes up must come down. Hawk-eyed employees noticed the strange visitors and invited the competent authorities, who were engaged in controlling gambling activities.
Two females and two males were arrested on June 1, 2012, at Hollywood Casino, which opened in Toledo three days earlier. Only one member of the group was sentenced to a fine.
At the end of the same month, Luis Abad-Pena and Jeckson Tapia had been caught red-handed at Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland, but they did not come to the court. After some time, Luis was arrested. He was sentenced to a fine of two thousand dollars and one year in prison, which is the most severe penalty for such crimes.
Yet, the other members of the gang went into hiding. First, three suspicious individuals were noticed at Hollywood Casino Columbus, but they managed to flee before the police arrived. Four active participants were arrested in the summer of 2013. They appeared before a tribunal and were sentenced to various penalties, including fines and prison terms.
The criminals refused to cooperate with the authorities, making it difficult to investigate. The officers managed to get only one of them to talk. He said that cheaters usually were satisfied with one or two thousand dollars per attempt, although, under particularly favorable circumstances, they had earned much more significant amounts.
The End of the Story
Since only a few people have been arrested, the gang's activities are expected to resume. It is possible that the most skilled scammers have not stopped to conduct their activities, continuing to deceive casinos while playing roulette.
We will follow the course of events and inform readers of Casinoz about the news related to the investigation.
To sum up, such cases confirm that gambling at online casinos is much safer. Having selected a reliable Internet gambling website, you will never face scammers who can steal your chips or cheat you in any other way.