Guards shouldn’t apprehend a shooter, Wisconsin casinos say www.priavteofficer.com

 

Milwaukee WI June 19 2013 The security policies followed at Potawatomi Bingo Casino during a weekend shooting are similar to those used by other casinos around the state, and one expert said Tuesday that casino security guards followed industry standards by not trying to apprehend the shooter.
The Milwaukee casino is reviewing security procedures after a man ignored posted warnings and brought a gun inside the casino, shooting a Milwaukee woman in her leg early Sunday. Casino patrons were able to wrestle the gun away from the shooter. He was arrested at the casino. Charges have yet to be filed.
A casino spokesman said earlier this week that unarmed security guards are trained to lead patrons to safety, call police and serve as witnesses, rather than intervening in situations such as the shooting.
It’s important to differentiate between police officers and security guards, said Richard Sem, president of Sem Security Management, a security consulting firm in Trevor.
“They are not the same thing,” Sem said Tuesday. “The industry standard for security guards is to observe and report and be a deterrent by their presence. They are more preventive, and police are more of a reactive measure. (Police) can arrest and apprehend.”
In an active shooter situation, in which someone is indiscriminately shooting people, security officers are trained to protect people and get them out of harm’s way, he said.
“So even an armed security officer wouldn’t necessarily be expected to get in a gunbattle,” Sem said.
In general, a security guard at St. Croix Casino in Danbury might intervene during a crime, depending on the situation, said Jim Wakefield, director of security there.
But if a person was armed, security guards would likely do the same thing as those at Potawatomi, he said.
Cameras, like a security guards, can serve as a deterrent.
“We have surveillance inside, outside, everywhere and it’s state of the art,” said Louise Cornelius, gaming general manager at Oneida Casino in Green Bay.
Officials at the Oneida Casino, St. Croix Casino in Danbury, Bad River Lodge & Casino in Odanah, and St. Croix Casino in Turtle Lake said Tuesday that they prohibit firearms but do not have metal detectors, and security guards are not armed.
Only one of the four, St. Croix in Danbury, does not routinely check purses or bags of patrons.
“If we came across a person with a gun at the entrance, we would let them know it’s a premise where people cannot have a weapon,” said Travis Lowe, security director at the casino in Turtle Lake.
All four casinos, like Potawatomi, have agreements with local law enforcement agencies or tribal police to investigate crimes.
Ryan Amundson, Potawatomi casino spokesman, said Monday that procedures followed by security guards during the shooting were recommended by Milwaukee police.
Milwaukee police spokesman Sgt. Mark Stanmeyer declined to confirm or deny that, and issued the following statement:
“While the Milwaukee Police Department does not set security policies for private businesses, MPD has been and continues to be a resource for private entities, including the casino, on security-related matters. Training topics include suspicious activity and active shooter, and that training took place at the casino on Dec. 20, 2012.”
Stanmeyer referred questions about specific security procedures at the casino to the casino. He did say that police squad cars were dispatched within two minutes of the first call on Sunday, within standards set for those types of calls.
The shooting at the casino on Sunday began with a fight, police have said. Training staff to recognize escalating confrontations is an important aspect to preventing something more serious from happening, Sem said.
“It’s training all of your staff, not just security, to be vigilant and be aware and to look for suspicious activities and to look for escalation,” he said.
“Almost always there was some escalation and usually were some early sign — a verbal altercation and it gets more heated and someone pulls out the gun. That’s more common in that kind of place (a casino) than a random act of violence where someone shoots for no reason,” Sem added.

source-jsonline.com

Schuylkill County man struggles with authorities outside Sands hotel www.privateofficer.com

Bethlehem PA June 15 2013 Authorities arrested a Schuylkill County man after he caused a disturbance at the Sands Casino Resort and then fought with security and police officers.
Michael Williams, 40, of Pottsville, Pa., was taken into custody early Monday morning outside of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem hotel, according to police.
Williams began fighting with security about midnight while he was being tossed from the establishment and when police arrived he resisted their efforts to arrest him.
The 40-year-old has been charged with resisting arrest, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, authorities say.

Woman accused of punching trooper, cason security officer www.privateofficr.com

 

PARADISE TWP. MI June 11 2013 – A 24-year-old woman is accused of assaulting a state trooper and then punching a Mount Airy Casino Resort security guard in the side of his head on May 26.
State police said the trooper and guard were trying to remove Debra Weber and 33-year-old Shawn Zrowka, both of Tunkhannock Twp., Monroe County, from Gypsies Lounge & Night Club at 1:40 a.m. when the pair became unruly.
Police said Ms. Weber assaulted the trooper and punched the guard. She was charged with aggravated assault, harassment, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
Mr. Zrowka was charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Casinos ban gamblers from using Google Glass www.privateofficer.com

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. June 8 2013 (AP) — Casinos in several states are forbidding gamblers from wearing Google Glass, the tiny eyeglasses-mounted device capable of shooting photos, filming video and surfing the Internet.
Regulators say the gadgets could be used to cheat at card games.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement issued a directive on Monday ordering Atlantic City’s 12 casinos to bar casino patrons from using the device. The directive was first reported by The Press of Atlantic City.
Similar bans are in place at casinos in Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Connecticut, among other places.
“If these eyeglasses were worn during a poker game, they could be used to broadcast a patron’s hand to a confederate or otherwise be used in a collusive manner,” David Rebuck, the division’s director wrote in a memo to the casinos.
That type of use would constitute a crime in New Jersey. But it would be difficult to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the glasses were actually being used to cheat, Rebuck wrote. For that and other reasons, he decided to ban the glasses on the casino floor and anywhere else gambling is taking place.
“Even if the glasses had not been used for cheating … their presence at a gaming table would lead to the perception that something untoward could be occurring, thereby undermining public confidence in the integrity of gaming,” he wrote in the directive.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Google said, “We are thinking very carefully about how we design Glass because new technology always raises new issues.” It said its “Glass Explorer” pilot program “will ensure that our users become active participants in shaping the future of this technology.”
The New Jersey casinos must ask anyone wearing the glasses to remove them, and can kick out any customer who refuses.
The prohibition against photography or video filming in the casinos is not unique to Google Glass. New Jersey regulators require five days’ advance notice — and explicit approval from the gaming enforcement division — for any type of photos or videos to be shot on the casino floor, and Las Vegas has similar restrictions. But as a new technology, the glasses are catching the attention of regulators, who are updating their rules to keep pace.
In Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts have directed their security workers to ask patrons to remove the devices before beginning to gamble.
Caesars spokesman Gary Thompson said Las Vegas guests will need to take off their glasses when they hit the tables.
“Gaming regulations prohibit the use of computers or recording devices while gambling, so guests can’t wear Google Glass while they’re gambling,” Thompson said. “The devices will also not be able to be used in showrooms.”
The edict will also be applied at casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland.
In Pennsylvania, state regulators plan to advise its 11 casinos that an existing regulation prohibiting gamblers from using electronic devices at a table game also applies to the Google Glass, a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman said Wednesday.
Mohegan Sun in Connecticut also bans the devices on the casino floor.

Eighth federal employment law complaint filed against Rivers Casino www.privateofficer.com

 

Pittsburgh PA June 4 2013 A Fayette County woman’s claim filed last week that male co-workers at the Rivers Casino told her “they were going to gun [her] down” is the eighth federal employment law complaint filed against the North Shore facility’s owners in its four years of operation — a reflection, according to one plaintiff’s attorney, of unhappiness in the gaming palace.
“In my view, from speaking with a number of witness, basically there is a lot of dissatisfaction about working conditions there,” said Samuel Reynolds Jr., an attorney who last year sued the casino’s owners, Holdings Acquisitions Co., on behalf of a black, male former employee.
“That’s why a number of the employees want to unionize.”
Rivers spokesman Jack Horner said of union efforts, “So far, the overwhelming majority of our team members have consistently chosen to remain independent.”
The most recent complaint in U.S. District Court comes from Sharon Baughman of Uniontown, who was hired in 2009 and within months became a security manager.
After she was moved to a later shift in 2010, male security team members began posting daily, on a bulletin board, a countdown of the number of days they believed she would remain an employee of the casino, according to her complaint.
“Rivers male security officers under Baughman’s command became increasingly insubordinate in an aggressive manner towards her (for example, screaming in her face and pounding fists on tables when speaking to her),” according to the complaint filed by attorney Joseph Hornack. She was “repeatedly warned by Rivers male security managers, supervisors and officers that ‘bad things’ were going to happen to her, that ‘they were going to gun you down,’ and that she needed to ‘watch her back.’ “
When she reported the problems to supervisors, she was told “the guys are stressed out because of the job and they probably do not mean what they are saying,” according to the complaint. Her bosses called her to a June 2010 meeting and gave her an “action plan” that was too voluminous to be accomplished, according to the complaint, and fired her two months later.
Ms. Baughman’s treatment is discriminatory under federal and state laws, and she demands a return to work, back pay, damages for suffering and punitive damages, according to the complaint.
The seven prior federal employment law complaints run the gamut.
Two employees sued claiming that they were among 30 security officers who were denied overtime for three months in 2009.
A female purchasing director was paid less than males of the same rank, complained, and was laid off, according to another complaint.
A white woman hired as a Players Club representative sued claiming she was called “snobby” and “blondie” by some co-workers, falsely accused of using the word “ghetto” by another, and “stalked” by still others before she was “forced to resign.”
A male poker supervisor claimed he was passed over for a promotion and told that it was because the other candidate “is female, and because of this, [she] could perform certain tasks with guests better” than a man could. His lawsuit said he complained, was accused of coming to work late, and was fired.
An African-American man was promoted from ambassador to host, but fired for unspecified misconduct and replaced by a white woman, Mr. Reynolds wrote in a complaint.
A Christian male was called “virgin” and “gay” by co-workers, and fired when he complained, according to another lawsuit.
A 66-year-old woman who was a slots attendant claimed that she was told to ” ‘hurry up,’ ‘walk faster’ and ‘you better get glasses,’ ” before she was accused of taking improper breaks and told to quit.
Online court records indicate that those seven cases were settled. The amounts of such settlements are generally kept confidential by the parties.
The Rivers Casino has around 1,800 employees, according to Mr. Horner.
Casinos are good places to work for minorities and women, said Judy Patterson, executive director and senior vice president of the American Gaming Association.
“If you’re comparing the gaming industry to other aspects of the entertainment and recreation industry, we always compare very favorably in terms of minority hiring” and opportunities for women, she said, adding that her organization recently launched the Global Gaming Women effort to encourage diversity in management.
Since April, some Rivers employees have been trying to organize under the banner of the hospitality union UNITE HERE Local 57. The local has accused the casino of “anti-union intimidation.”
“Rivers has illegally interfered with a union election in the past,” said Jon Scolnik, a researcher for the Steel City Casino Workers Council.
“We take great pride in our team and respect the rights of our team members to choose,” Mr. Horner said. “That is their choice and their right.”

source- http://www.post-gazette.com/

Lucky Eagle casino security officers find drugs, gun, money on man www.privateofficer.com

Rochester WA June 3 2013 A 29-year-old Vancouver, Wash., man walked into the Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester Sunday with a duffle bag containing more than $66,000 cash. He also had methamphetamine in his jacket pocket and a stolen handgun, a prosecutor said in court Tuesday.
Christopher Lathrop, who owns a food truck, according to court papers, was ordered held at the Thurston County Jail after a judge found probable cause to support allegations of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and possession of a stolen firearm. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Christine Schaller set Lathrop’s bail at $25,000.
Lathrop’s mother, Rose Vaida, of Vancouver, was present during Tuesday’s hearing. Outside court, Vaida said her son had called her prior to his arrest on Sunday and told her he had won $40,000 playing at a casino. However, Lucky Eagle CEO John Setterstrom said Tuesday that Lathrop did not win the cash at Lucky Eagle.
Setterstrom confirmed that gaming agents checked Lathrop’s bag when he entered the casino Sunday and found the large sum of cash.
It is not uncommon for “high rollers” at the casino to enter the premises with large sums of cash, Setterstrom said. However, court papers indicate that Lucky Eagle security staff also learned that Lathrop was carrying a firearm while he was on the gaming floor, which is against casino policy, Setterstrom said.
Setterstrom said that even individuals with a concealed-carry permit, or off-duty police officers are not allowed to carry firearms when they are in the casino.
Lathrop told casino security that the gun was a “toy,” according to court papers. However, security determined it was a real .45 caliber Springfield pistol that had been reported stolen in Oregon in late 2012, court papers state. Security also found a small bag containing suspected methamphetamine in Lathrop’s jacket pocket, court papers state.
Chehalis Tribal police were dispatched to the casino and arrested Lathrop.
Vaida said outside court Tuesday that it was her impression that her son had won a large sum of cash at Lucky Eagle. She added that her son had also recently sold a food truck, which may have contributed to his unusually large bankroll.
“He probably just took that money to go to the casino,” she said. source- theolympian.com

Ceasors Casino guest stabbed during robbery www.privateofficer.com

 

Atlantic City NJ May 29 2013 A man was arrested Sunday after an armed robbery and stabbing at Caesars.

The 27-year-old victim was robbed of $96 and stabbed in the arm with a box cutter about 3:30 a.m. Sunday on Caesars’ casino floor, Sgt. Monica McMenamin said. Casino security chased the suspect to Indiana and Garfield avenues, but did not catch him.

Kareem Taylor, 37, was found in a rear yard on Indiana Avenue and was taken in by K-9 Officer Marinela Pali and her partner, Roxy, after resisting arrest, according to the police report. The K-9 team recently graduated from the academy; it was Roxy’s first apprehension.
Taylor, who has an address in Pleasantville but is known to frequent Atlantic City, was released from prison in January 2012, after serving nearly five years on charges of obstruction, bail jumping and escape, according to the state Department of Corrections Web site.
In 2006, he was arrested in the shooting of Jamal McNair, of Atlantic City. Taylor was charged with attempted murder, weapons offenses and aggravated assault, a Press of Atlantic City story reported at the time.
In Sunday’s incident, Taylor and the victim were both treated for injuries at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus and released. Taylor was then jailed on $150,000 bail.
He is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, resisting arrest and weapons offenses.
Atlantic City police and the state Division of Gaming Enforcement are investigating, because the attack occurred inside the casino.

source-press of atlantic city

Casino security manager indicted for allegedly obstructing prostitution investigation www.privateofficer.com

ATLANTIC CITY NJ May 26 2013

A security manager at Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal casino has been indicted for allegedly obstructing an undercover investigation into prostitution in Atlantic City.

James Curtis, 36, of Brigantine, was charged on Wednesday (May 22) with fourth-degree promoting prostitution and fourth-degree obstructing administration of law.

The Atlantic County grand jury indictment alleges that on June 24, 2011, Curtis, who was a security manager at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, obstructed an investigation into prostitution at the casino. An investigation determined that Curtis, in his capacity as security manager, received an e-mail about the presence of undercover detectives conducting prostitution details. It is alleged that Curtis forwarded the e-mail to a woman that he knew was a prostitute in an effort to obstruct the investigation.

“The job of a security manager is to protect casino patrons, not to impede an investigation into illegal activity within New Jersey’s casinos,” Attorney General Chiesa said.

“Law enforcement needs to be able to share information between agencies without worrying that classified information will be leaked to investigation targets,” Division of Criminal Justice Director Elie Honig said.

Curtis was arrested at the Taj Mahal on May 15, 2012 and was terminated that day from his position as a result of the investigation.

Deputy Attorney General Kelly Biringer of the Division of Criminal Justice’s Casino Prosecution Bureau and Detective Carl Smallwood of the New Jersey State Police coordinated the investigation. Deputy Attorney General Kerry DiJoseph presented the case to the Atlantic County grand jury on Deputy Attorney General Biringer’s behalf.

Attorney General Chiesa thanked the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey State Police for their assistance in the investigation.

The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $10,000.

Source-nbc40.net

Security officers at Niagara’s casinos have ratified their first collective agreement www.privateofficer.com

 

NIAGARA FALLS NY April 24 2013– Security officers at Niagara’s casinos have ratified their first collective agreement.
The 200 officers have been represented by Canadian Auto Workers Local 199 since last year.
In a vote held late last week, the officers voted 81 perc cent in favour of their first contract, which will see them receive some additional monetary benefits.
Full-time and part-time officers who worked 1,500 hours or more in 2012 will be paid a total one-time payment of $1,400 by May 15. Employees working fewer hours will have these payments prorated depending on hours worked.
Next year, officers are entitled to an additional prorated payment of $750 or an optional general wage increase by July 1 should one be provided to other casino Gaming employees by the employer.
Wage rates will also increase by $0.35 per hour on April 1, 2015 and again on April 1, 2016.
At current wage rates of $21.05 per hour before increases, full-time and part-time CAW security officers at the Niagara Casinos are the highest paid in Ontario’s gaming industry and are expected to remain so under the terms of this new agreement, according to the union.
“We are incredibly proud of our security officer bargaining team’s success in negotiating an excellent first CAW agreement with the company managing Niagara Falls first-class resort casinos,” CAW Local 199 President Wayne Gates said in a statement.
“In these turbulent times for Ontario’s gaming industry, the protection of a strong union contract will provide a measure of stability and certainty to CAW Niagara Casino security officers,” Gates added.
Greg Medulun, spokesman for Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino, said the they too are pleased with the deal.
“We are pleased that we were able to come to a fair and equitable deal with our unionized security associates,” Medulun told Bullet News.
“Our entire workplace continues to stay focused on providing great service for more than 20,000 customers each day.”

source-niagara falls news now

Alert Hard Rock Hotel & Casino security officers lead police to major drug bust www.privateofficer.com

TULSA OK April 15 2013-

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security responded to a smoke alarm in a seventh-floor hotel room, where 31-year-old Raven Holmes was found smoking meth, according to arrest affidavits.

The officers found that Holmes had more than a pound of meth, scales and other drugs packaged for sale in the room.

Hard Rock officials then called for police backup, which, with the help of local, county and federal law enforcement, set up a sting that netted seven suspects.

The suspected buyers were all arrested for charges ranging from possession of a controlled substance to endeavoring to traffic drugs.

John Hunt, 68, Gene Miller, 53, Shelley Boothe, 30, Carol Fogelman, 30, Ayla Jones, 20, Charles Yahola, 24, and John Cooper, 34, were busted trying to buy large amounts of meth at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa last week.

All seven, with the exception of Cooper, are listed as Tulsa residents.

Holmes and 35-year-old Gonzalo Ponce-Arturez of Austin, Texas, were indicted on federal drug charges Monday.

According to court documents, Holmes admitted to selling large amounts of meth out of Tulsa hotels on several occasions. She claims to have sold the drugs for a man who is member of a Mexican drug cartel.

“This is a plague in our community,” said Rogers County District Attorney Janice Steidley. “With the efforts of all the law enforcement and the casino security staff, that were involved, we got that off the streets of Rogers County. That’s something we are quite proud of.”

Casino security gets paid after 5 weeks without checks www.privateofficer.com

Cincinnati OH April 15 2013 Some security personnel and off-duty police officers who work at the new Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati have worked since the casino opened, almost five weeks, without receiving a paycheck.

The security staff said that frustration grew after they received excuses without their paycheck.

Frustrations grew eve more after officers had heard that the casino made almost $21 million during the first month of operation.

WLWT News 5 learned Saturday that officers had finally received paychecks but there is no word if the staff received all that they were due.

Friday, a casino spokesperson said a computer error caused the problem and accountants had been working on issuing checks.

Armed man charged with assaulting Joker’s Casio security officer www.privateofficer.com

RICHLAND, Wash. April 13 2013 – A man from Pasco is facing assault charges after Richland Police say he threatened a casino security guard with a knife.
Police say late Thursday night into Friday morning, security officers at Joker’s Casino had escorted 21-year old Eric Sylvester out of the building, when he pulled a 4-inch knife and threatened to cut them.
Staff members told police Sylvester had been showing overt signs he was drunk, had become aggressive towards other patrons, and refused to leave.
When officers arrived on scene they found Sylvester in a car in the parking lot. Police say one of his friends had intervened and was able to calm him down. Officers say they saw a knife on the floorboards of the car, so they searched a search warrant and seized the knife.
Police arrested and booked Sylvester into the Benton County Jail on a 72 hour hold.

Small fire delays opening of Rivers Casino www.privateofficer.com

 

Des Plaines IL April 9 2013 A small fire caused a slight interruption in the proceedings Sunday morning at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.

Des Plaines Fire Chief Alan Wax said casino security called in the fire at 8:02 a.m., during a period from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. when the casino is closed.

A cleaning crew reported that marble tiles from the fireplace in the smoking lounge had fallen.

When security investigated, it was found that smoke and heat was starting to pour from the fireplace. Wax said fire crews extinguished the small blaze in less than 20 minutes and contained it to the area of the fireplace.

“It’s going to take a while to determine a dollar loss, because the fireplace was marble,” Wax said. It is not clear yet whether it will have to be reconstructed.

No one was hurt in the fire, which appears to be accidental but is under investigation. Wax said the casino was scheduled to reopen at 9 a.m., but the opening was delayed 15 minutes.
source-daily-herald

Man, Woman Found Dead in Revel Resort Room www.privateofficer.com

 

Atlantic City NJ April 9 2013 Police are investigating the deaths of two guests at the Revel Resort and Casino.

On Sunday, police say a housekeeping employee found the bodies of a 56-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman inside a guestroom on the seventh floor of the resort. The employee contacted Revel Security who immediately called police.

Police have not yet revealed the names of the two victims but say that they are both New Jersey residents. The medical examiner conducted an autopsy on them around 6 p.m. and will release the cause of death for both victims following an investigation. Detectives say it’s too early to tell whether the deaths are suspicious.

If you have any information on this incident, please call the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 609-347-5766. You can also call Crimestoppers at 609-652-1234 or text TIP411(847411).

Source: NBC News

Shuttered Key Largo casino burns www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV March 30 2013   A four-alarm fire engulfed a vacant resort east of the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, billowing large smoke visible throughout the valley. According to Clark County Fire Department, the incident was reported about 3:15 p.m. in the 300 block of East Flamingo Rd, near Paradise Road. The address is home to the old Key Largo Casino. Traffic was backed up around the burning casino, and Flaming Road was shut down. Clark County Fire said crews arrived to find heavy flame and smoke, immediately calling for a second alarm. “First arriving units indicated there was a fire in two locations in this vacant building,” Girard Page, senior deputy fire chief with the Clark County Fire Department told FOX5. County Fire crews were joined by Las Vegas Fire and Rescue units as the fire went to four alarms.
“Obviously it’s a four alarm fire, and they don’t happen that often, and it’s taken quite a few resources to fight the fire,” Page said. The fire extended to the attic space, limiting firefighters’ ability to enter the structure for fear the roof would collapse. Several sections of the rood did collapse, compromising the building’s support structure. Two firefighters were transported to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. No civilian injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at $4.5 million. Crews will remain on the scene through the night to uncover and extinguish hot spots.
The building was built in 1974 and has been vacant for six years. So far there is no word on how the fire started
Source: FOX5

Gambler Hacked Surveillance System To Win $33.2 Million In Australia www.privateofficer.com

Melbourne, Australia March 23 2013 It was like a scene out of “Ocean’s Eleven” — well, if George Clooney and Brad Pitt had hacked the security system and used the casino’s own surveillance system against it

. That’s exactly what at least one man had been doing for weeks in a high-tech scam at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. The Herald Sun exclusively reports that a gambler used the casino’s security cameras to spy for him as he played.

Over the period of time, the high roller walked away with a staggering $32 million AUS (about $33.2 million). Though only one man — who has yet to be identified — has been implicated in the crime, others may have been involved. Describing the Crown casino scam to Melbourne-based radio station 3AW 693 News Talk, Herald Sun crime reporter Mark Buttler explained: “Someone has been able to get into the security system remotely and, we’re told, advise the player about what other cards the other players are holding, and he’s cleaned up to the tune of 32 million.”

Casino security consultant Barron Stringfellow imagined the gambler and an accomplice used a wireless transmission to carry out the ploy. “[T]hrough a wireless transmission to his ear during his eight hands of play, he was told exactly what plays would be beneficial to make,” Stringfellow told ABC News radio.

Though Crown has been markedly quiet about the heist, a spokeswoman for the casino confirmed to Australia’s News Limited that an investigation into reports of a “sophisticated betting scam” is underway. At least one casino employee has been fired as a result. Local police are aware of the incident, but Crown has not filed a formal complaint, the Sun reports.
The $32 million scam is the biggest to hit the casino since it opened in 1994. As the Age notes, Crown was defrauded out of $1.8 million in 1998 by one of the casino’s baccarat dealers.

NJ man admits role in fatal casino carjacking www.privateofficer.com

Las Vegas NV March 14 2013 A southern New Jersey man has admitted he fatally shot a man and wounded a woman during a carjacking inside an Atlantic City casino parking garage. Camden resident Phillip Byrd pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony murder in a plea deal with Atlantic County prosecutors, who’ll recommend he receive a 47-year prison term when he’s sentenced in June. Byrd and two other Camden men were accused of robbing 28-year-old Sunil Rattu and 24-year-old Radha Ghetia in September 2011.

The victims were forced to drive from the Trump Taj Mahal parking garage to an alley, where they were shot. Rattu died from two gunshot wounds to the head. Ghetia survived two shots in the upper body. Another defendant also has pleaded guilty. The other is due in court Thursday.
Source:www.lasvegassun.com

FBI investigates shooting at Albuquerque casino www.privateofficer.com

Albuquerque NM March 8 2013 The FBI and Sandia Police Department are investigating a non-fatal shooting that occurred in the underground parking garage of Sandia Resort Casino in Albuquerque on Tuesday morning (March 5, 2013).
Luis Tobanche, 32, of Albuquerque, suffered a gunshot wound to the neck. He was taken to University of New Mexico Hospital, where he was treated and released.
The shooting occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m. when a person in a car apparently shot Tobanche and drove away.
No vehicle information is available.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Albuquerque FBI Field Office at (505) 889-1300 (24 hours).
Besides the FBI and Sandia Police, other responding agencies included the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
No further information is available at this time.

Wife’s $30,000 casino loss brings man’s AK-47 threat, arrest, police say www.privateofficer.com

Wilmington DE Feb 27 2013 A Wilmington man who telephoned the casino at Delaware Park and ordered security officers to stop his wife from gambling there was arrested by state troopers after he threatened to shoot up the casino with an assault rifle, police said.
Brandon K. Buchanan, 28, was charged Monday with first-degree reckless endangering, possession of a firearm during a felony, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, said state police Sgt. Paul Shavack.
According to court records, Buchanan’s wife had gambled away $30,000 and he was fed up.
The incident unfolded about 11 p.m. Sunday, when casino security received the call from Buchanan, Shavack said.
According to court records, Buchanan told the security officer, “My wife is at your casino, get her out of there or I am going to come up there with an AK-47 and [expletive] you and that place up.”
The security officer told police that the man’s wife had left the casino “a few minutes earlier,” police said in court records.
About midnight, a trooper went to talk with the security officer, who said he was talking to Buchanan on the telephone.
Buchanan said that a state trooper’s car had just passed him in the parking lot, and the trooper returned to the spot and talked to him as he stood outside his car – a black 2009 Audi 4-door sedan.
When the trooper asked him what was going on, Buchanan replied in “an unsolicited statement” that “I brought the gun down here to scare my wife. She spent $30,000 in this place and I can’t take it anymore. I figured this way, she would realize that I’m serious about this,” according to court records.
When asked if he had any weapons on him, Buchanan said he had a gun in the trunk and the magazines and ammunition were locked in the glove compartment, according to the court documents.
When the trooper searched Buchanan, he discovered a magazine with 20 rounds of ammunition in the back pocket of his pants, Shavack said.
Additional troopers were called to assist and spotted an assault rifle on the rear seat, identified by police as a Hungarian AMD-65 7.61×39 mm — similar to an AK-47 — and in court papers as a UTG-65. Police said they also found 2.5 grams of marijuana along with a pipe on the seat.
Troopers obtained a warrant to search Buchanan’s home and found a Century Arms 7.62 mm assault rifle and additional ammunition along with a 9 mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun, Shavack said.
Buchanan was arrested and charged. He was being held in Young Correctional Institution on $62,350 cash bail.
Source:DelawareOnline.com

NM police officer arrested for spitting on security officer www.privateofficer.com

SANTA FE NMFeb 23 2013 – New video released from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office shows the incident that got an Española police officer in trouble with the law for a second time.
Now Officer Moises Peña is under the microscope with three different agencies, and the video isn’t expected to help his case.
A year ago Peña was suspected of being drunk in his personal vehicle but was still able to keep his job. He might not be so lucky with this latest incident.
The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office says the video shows Peña spitting on a casino security officer at Pojoaque Pueblo.
According to the police report, Peña and another customer got into an argument at Buffalo Thunder Casino on Jan. 19.
When Peña and the other customer were asked to leave, they didn’t like it, and that’s when Peña allegedly spat on the security officer.
Now he’s charged with battery.
“Within the law enforcement career field, we’re in glass houses,” said Española Police Chief Eric Garcia. “Whether it’s on duty or off duty reflects on New Mexico as a whole.”
Garcia says he’s conducting his own internal investigation while Peña is on paid suspension.
“The message from my office is very clear: this type of behavior won’t be tolerated by my staff or any of the employees of the Department of Public Safety,” he said.
Peña was already on thin ice with the Law Enforcement Academy, after the incident a year ago where police say they found Peña passed out in his truck with the engine running outside an Allsup’s store.
No one gave him a DWI test, but he was suspected of being drunk.
Now, this latest incident has also been referred to the LEA, which will decide if he loses his certification to work as a police officer.
“The criminal investigation is being conducted by the SFCSO,” Garcia said. “They’re pushing forward with their investigation, just like the LEA is pushing forward with their review of the police officer certification.”
On the criminal side, Peña will face a judge at the Santa Fe Magistrate Court in two weeks. The other two investigations are expected to wrap up soon.

Source: KRQE

Man assaults security officer after his sex episode interrupted www.privateofficer.com

ELKO NV Feb 23 2013— A man angry that a security guard interrupted him having sex in a bathroom ended up in custody early Wednesday morning for battery, according to Police Lt. Ty Trouten.
Joel D. Stewart, 23, was sexually involved with an unnamed woman in the men’s bathroom at the Stockmen’s Hotel and Casino when a security guard asked them to leave, Trouten said.
When the guard returned, the Elko resident had not left and became enraged, Trouten said.
Stewart lunged at one male and one female security guard, hitting one in the throat and striking at the other, Trouten said.
Police arrested Stewart for two counts of battery and trespassing for not leaving when he was asked.
Neither of the security guards sought treatment, Trouten said.
Stewart was held in Elko County Jail on $1,626 bail.

Source:elkodaily.com

Woman uses vehcile to pin security officer against cars www.privateofficer.com

BILOXI MS Feb 20 2013 — A woman used her vehicle to pin a casino security guard against a security vehicle when she tried to flee from a theft complaint, police said.
Dannette Marie Coleman, 53, was suspected of stealing chips from a man visiting at Treasure Bay Casino late Saturday night when the man and security officers went in the parking lot to confront her, Detective Mike Shaw said.
Security guards approached in their vehicles as Coleman was trying to drive away. One guard got out of his vehicle and approached Coleman, who pinned him between two vehicles and then hit the gas, Shaw said.
Police suspect Coleman, of West Tracey Drive in Gulfport, she was under the influence of alcohol.The injured employee was taken to a hospital. He was treated and released.
The casino replaced the guest’s chips, Shaw said, and the man declined to press charges against Coleman for the alleged theft, saying he is from out of state and didn’t want to have to return for court hearings.
Police arrested Coleman on charges of aggravated assault and driving under the influence, first offense.
She was booked at the Harrison County jail.
Justice Court Judge Albert Fountain set bond on the felony at $50,000. Her bond on the DUI charge, a misdemeanor, is $1,285.
Coleman was released on bond Sunday afternoon.
The felony will automatically go to a grand jury for review since Coleman bailed out of jail before a preliminary hearing. Source-sun herald

Man charged with making terrorist threat related to Poarch Creeks’ casino www.privateofficer.com

MONTGOMERY, Alabama Feb 19 2013 — An Oklahoma man is being held in the Elmore County jail on what a lawyer says is a “bogus charge” of making a terrorist threat related to opposition to the construction of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians casino in Wetumpka.
Wayland Gray is being held on a $30,000 cash bond on that charge and a $500 bond on a charge of criminal trespassing, an employee at the jail confirmed.
Gray and three others were arrested on Friday, according to Brendan Ludwick, a lawyer who represents the Muscogee Creeks Nation. Ludwick said Gray is a Muscogee Creek.
The Poarch Creeks issued a statement saying that the men were repeatedly warned and made threatening comments before the arrests.
Muscogee Creeks have filed a federal lawsuit to block the Poarch Creeks plans for a 20-story hotel and casino on what the Muscogees consider sacred ancestral ground in Wetumpka. Muscogee Creeks say the site was a burial ground for the Hickory Ground tribal town before the Muscogees were removed by the federal government in the 1830s.
Ludwick said the four men were trying to “access the ceremonial ground to pray and honor their ancestors” when they were arrested on Friday by Poarch Band tribal police.
The four men were charged with trespassing, according to Ludwick. Three of the men were freed on bond, but Gray was held after being charged with making a terrorist threat.
Ludwick said the terrorist threat charge stems from a statement Gray made after being arrested. He said Gray said he would return to the ceremonial ground to honor his ancestors after the casino was torn down.
Ludwick said that statement was taken out of context and mischaracterized as a threat. He said Gray meant that he would return after Muscogee Creeks prevailed in the lawsuit to stop the construction and restore the site.
Ludwick said the arrest violated Gray’s rights of free speech and to practice his religion.
“We believe they have sought to punish him for speaking out about what he believes is desecration of a sacred place,” Ludwick said.
The Poarch Creeks issued a statement about the arrests of the four men:
“The individuals were stopped by property management and advised to leave. These individuals refused to leave, made threatening comments and were repeatedly warned that they were trespassing and facing imminent arrest. These individuals continued to challenge Tribal police and were arrested. “
The statement continued:
“The men had been warned yesterday (Thursday) that no one other than professionals involved with the project would be allowed at the construction site. At least one of the men repeatedly made threats to property management and security during these encounters.”
In December, the Muscogee Nation filed a lawsuit to block construction of the casino and hotel. The lawsuit claims the Poarch Band acquired the Wetumpka land under the false pretense of preservation, did not have permission from descendants when they excavated graves and that the ceremonial and burial grounds should be protected under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.
When the lawsuit was filed, the Poarch Band issued a statement saying they believe the lawsuit will be found to be without merit.
The Poarch Creeks operate Wind Creek Casino & Hotel in Atmore, Creek Casino Wetumpka, and Creek Casino Montgomery.

Source: AL.com

2 People shot at MGM Las Vegas casino www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV Feb 7 2013 — Metro police are investigating a double shooting that has two people fighting for their lives.
It happened around midnight on Wednesday in the lobby of the U.A. Showcase Theatre on MGM Drive near the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.
Police say a fight between two groups of people broke out. It appears the groups knew each other prior to the incident. One of the people left, returned and shot two people in the lobby.
“When the shots were fired, one of the individuals fell in the lobby of the theater. Another individual fell into an elevator and ended up on the fifth floor,” said Metro Police Officer Bill Cassell.
The two victims were transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries.
Police are questioning witnesses. The shooter is still at large.

Yonkers casino security officer claims bias over ‘gay pride’ tattoo www.privateofficer.com

YONKERS NY Jan 26 2013 — Saying co-workers retaliated against her over a gay pride flag tattoo on her arm, an openly gay security officer at Yonkers Raceway is suing the Empire City casino and four supervisors, alleging discrimination.
Suzanne Elizabeth Keceli, 44, of Yonkers, claims in the lawsuit that she has suffered “severe anxiety and depression” after being subjected to a hostile work environment since showing co-workers and supervisors her rainbow flag tattoo last April. Supervisors told her to cover the tattoo with long sleeves or bandages, she says in the lawsuit filed last week in state Supreme Court in White Plains.
Keceli, who is seeking an unspecified amount of money, had tattoos for years of bullets and “69” on her arm, which the public could see while she worked, the lawsuit says. It wasn’t an issue, but things changed when she got the flag tattoo, she’s alleging.
“You can’t have that,” Lt. Brian Schulder reportedly told her as she left a locker room April 29, 2012, three days after getting the tattoo. “It’s not permitted.”
She alleges that the next day Sgt. Emilio Filopei summoned her to his office, where Schulder told her that Chief Charles Cola said she would have to wear long sleeves to cover her tattoos, which were viewed as offensive under company policy.
Keceli was “left speechless and distraught,” the lawsuit says, complaining to Schulder about “the blatant sexual-orientation based discrimination.” Schulder reportedly told her “that it had nothing to do with the Gay Pride Flag, but then admitted that the Gay Pride Flag ‘put it over the top with all the colors.’”
Keceli says she complained about the discrimination to several other security supervisors, several union officials and top management including Danette Jordan, director of human resources, and Robert Galterio, the casino’s vice president. She claims Jordan and Galterio didn’t take action.
After she complained to Lt. Benny Febres, who isn’t being sued, he reportedly told her to “put band aids all over her body to cover her tattoos” and gave her some band aids, the lawsuit says.
Named as defendants are the parent companies of Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway as well as Filopei, Schulder, Jordan and Galterio.
Security officials declined to comment on the lawsuit, referring questions to the casino’s legal department, which had no immediate comment. Schulder did not return a phone message, and Edward Kennedy, a lawyer for Keceli, declined to talk about the suit beyond what was in the civil complaint.
Keceli, who has worked as a peace officer at the raceway for five years and continues to be employed there, claims she suffered humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress. She has sought help from a therapist and says in the lawsuit that the harassment continues.
“Plaintiff Keceli feels that any ordinary person in her shoes would feel compelled to resign from her employment,” the lawsuit says.

Source-lohud.com

Ex-security guard sentenced for casino theft www.privateofficer.com

Billings MT Jan 25 2013 A federal judge this week sentenced a former security guard for the Absaalooka Nights Casino in Crow Agency to probation and ordered $3,324 restitution for stealing from his employer.
Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Shanstrom on Wednesday sentenced Joseph Pretty On Top, 49, of Lodge Grass, to three years of probation after he pleaded guilty to theft by an employee of an Indian gaming business.
Prosecutors said an investigation began in April 2012 after reports that $3,000 was stolen from gaming machines at the casino. Investigators found that Pretty On Top, a casino security guard, had turned off the surveillance cameras in an area of the casino and took money from machines on three occasions.
When questioned, Pretty On Top admitted taking the money. Some of the thefts also were caught on other surveillance cameras. The casino is operated by the Crow Tribe.

source-billingsgazette.com

Dismantled smoke alarm leads casino security to drug bust www.privateofficer.com

Larchwood IA Jan 24 2013
A Texas man who tried outsmarting a smoke detector was arrested for drugs at Grand Falls Casino near Larchwood, IA.
Sean Williams, 26, of Houston is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arrested at approximately 10:45 pm Saturday.
Todd Jones, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said Williams or someone in his party dismantled a smoke detector that was wired into the casino’s security system. Jones said security was notified once the detector was dismantled.
A search warrant was obtained after security could smell what they thought was marijuana. During the arrest, agents found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Jones said Williams was arrested without incident.

Source-ksfy.com

Woman stabbed two others at Reno casino www.privateofficer.com

Reno NV Jan 23 2013 AP Reno police have arrested a woman accused of stabbing two other women inside a Reno casino.
Police say 26-year-old Vanessa Hernandez-Duenas argued with the two women before stabbing them shortly before 5:30 a.m. Monday at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa.
One woman was stabbed in the lower back and the other in her side. The second victim is six months pregnant but police say no one’s life is threatened by the injuries.
The suspect was caught on security video surveillance and was located within several blocks of the casino on South Virginia Street. She’s been booked on suspicion of two counts of battery with a deadly weapon.

Las Vegas Casino Faces $1 Million Fine In Drug Sting www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV Jan 13 2013—The Nevada Gaming Control Board is fining the Palms casino in Las Vegas $1 million after nightclub employees provided undercover agents with prostitutes and drugs, including cocaine and prescription painkillers.
The state board detailed the transactions in a complaint filed Friday after agents conducted more than a dozen stings last March.
Among other offenses, the complaint says employees of nightclubs at the Palms Casino Resort agreed to sell agents $18,000 worth of cocaine.
Palms spokesman Alex Acuna says in a statement that the company is concerned and disappointed.
Acuna says the Palms is implementing mandatory drug testing, set up a whistle-blower system and made changes in its security department to avoid future incidents.
The Nevada Gaming Commission must approve the $1 million fine.
The Palms will also pay $78,000 for investigation expenses.

Man kidnaps estranged wife and heads to casino www.privateofficer.com

WORLEY, Idaho-Jan 10 2013- A suspected kidnapper was arrested Tuesday after taking off with his soon-to-be ex-wife.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office arrested Andrey S. Yermola, 21, at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley.

Casino security told officers Margarita S. Yermola, 19, told them she was kidnapped from Spokane and driven to the casino by her estranged husband. She told security staff she and Andrey had been separated for the past six months.

She told staff Andrey asked to meet Tuesday, which she did. As soon as she got into his car, Andrey drove away with her. She asked Andrey to stop and let her out but he refused and kept going, according to authorities.

At some point, he stopped the car and threw out a pistol which authorities were able to recover. They said it had been reported stolen in Spokane.

When Andrey arrived at the casino, he left the woman in the car and went inside. Authorities said that is when Margarita was able to flee the car and contact authorities.

Deputies located and arrested Andrey without incident inside the casino. He was booked into the Kootenai County Jail for 2nd Degree Kidnapping, Possession of Stolen Property, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. All three are felony charges.

Source-KREM