|
Attorney
General Mike DeWine...
DeWine
and
Cuyahoga Prosecutor Mason Announce Casino Indictments
(CLEVELAND)
-- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill
Mason,
and members of the Ohio Casino Control Commission announced today the
indictments of seven men accused of cheating at the newly opened
Horseshoe
Casino in Cleveland
“From the
very beginning we warned the would-be cheaters that our gaming agents,
working
under the Casino Control Commission, were all highly trained to spot
casino
crooks,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. “These indictments
show that
if someone comes into one of Ohio’s casinos planning to cheat, they
should
think twice.”
The
defendants, who are all charged with a fifth degree felony charge of
gambling,
include:
• Nidal
Abuaun, 49, Lakewood
• Nathaniel
Emory, 40, Cleveland
• Russell
Heidenreich, 46, Cleveland
• Aaron
Higdon, 29, Cleveland
• Philip
Koch, 54, Lakewood
• Theodore
Shepherd, 53, Cleveland
• Louis
Wilkerson, 30, Akron
Prosecutor
Mason said, “Ohio now has statutes in place to address crimes committed
in the
new casinos. My office will continue to prosecute these crimes as we
would any
other crime in our County.”
According
to investigators, the defendants were each caught cheating on various
casino
games such as Black Jack, Texas Hold’Em, Roulette and Craps by either
past
posting, making a bet after the time allowed, capping/stacking a bet,
adding
chips to a bet after a good outcome is predictable, or removing bets on
losing
hands/rolls.
“The
integrity of casino gaming is critical to the State of Ohio; with these
indictments, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is sending a strong
message
that cheating or stealing from a casino violates Ohio law, said the
Ohio Casino
Control Commission Director of Enforcement, Karen Huey.
“Stealing from a casino is the same as
stealing from the State of Ohio and will not be tolerated.”
Authorities said the crimes all happened
between May 22, 2012 and June 17, 2012.
|
