Casino Crime Roundup: Rapid City Casino Robbed at Knifepoint

Rapid City, S.D. police officers are continuing to search for the knife-wielding bandit who robbed a local gaming property on Wednesday.

Sign for 777 Casino in Rapid City
A sign for 777 Casino in Rapid City. The South Dakota casino was robbed once again. (Image: KNBN)

The brazen holdup took place at 777 Casino on West Main Street at about 8 a.m., according to Rapid City TV station KNBN.

The sole robber ordered a casino employee to turn over money. The worker gave him the cash and the suspect fled.

The suspect was believed to be Hispanic or Native American and about 5’4″ tall. He was wearing a red, white, and blue mask, a grey sweatshirt, and dark pants.

Police didn’t reveal how much money was stolen and no one was injured during the robbery.

Late this week, police have yet to identify a suspect

The same casino has been previously robbed, including one holdup that took place last Christmas Eve. That suspect fled with an undetermined amount of cash.

Shooting Near Oklahoma Casino

A fight between brothers led to shots being fired outside of the Gold Mountain Casino in Ardmore, Okla. on Tuesday morning.

Ten officers from the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department responded to the Oklahoma crime scene, according to Texas TV station KXII.

No one was injured during the struggle and confrontation.

An unnamed suspect was apprehended by police, who also seized a firearm.

A nearby educational institution, Southern Tech, was placed in lockdown while the incident unfolded. The casino apparently remained open during the incident.

Illegal Gambling Leads to Five Arrests

Five suspects were arraigned in court recently after numerous gaming machines were seized during raids of storefront operations last year in Michigan.

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) revealed the arrests after investigations into activities at The State Road Spot in Davison, Mich., and The Bristol Spot in Burton, Mich. Both are located in Genesee County.

Authorities seized 100 illegal gambling devices during the raids. Also seized was more than $29K in cash and 62 gift cards.

The Davison gambling den had 65 gaming devices, including 54 computer towers and 11 gambling machines. The Burton gambling den had 23 computer towers along with 12 gambling machines and other devices.

The raids both took place on April 27, 2022

Two suspects, Joseph Toporek and Mary Larkin, each are facing eight charges. They include:

  • Three counts of running a gambling operation without a license
  • Three counts of using computers to commit a crime
  • Maintaining a gambling house for gain
  • Keeping a gambling house

The other suspects, Shaun Bellah Sr., Shaun Bellah II, and Ghazwan Brikho, are each facing 10 charges, including:

  • Five counts of conducting a criminal enterprise
  • Conspiracy to conduct a criminal enterprise
  • Running a gambling operation without a license
  • Using computers to commit a crime
  • Maintaining a gambling house for gain
  • Keeping a gambling house

Each of the suspects was arraigned during August and September in Genesee County District Court. The suspects were released from custody on personal recognizance bonds.

The investigation was launched after the MGCB received a tip about illegal activity going on in Burton. Officials learned about gambling going on in the second location as part of the continuing investigation.

Accountability is crucial when it comes to upholding justice and ensuring a fair and honest gaming environment in the state of Michigan,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said in a recent statement.

“While the Michigan Gaming Control Board will continue to hold those who choose to circumvent the law accountable for their actions, we also acknowledge the importance of fairness, equality, and the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise.”

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Casino Crime Roundup: Suspects Who Robbed Yonkers Casino Players Remain on the Lam

A man tailed two elderly women about a mile from Yonkers, NY’s Empire City Casino to their residence where they were robbed on Tuesday, police said.

Yonkers, New York-based Empire City Casino
Yonkers, New York-based Empire City Casino, pictured above. Two women were followed from the casino to their home, where they were robbed. (Image: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)

The two women, one 83, the other 86, had just pulled into a driveway at a Valentine Street residence in Yonkers at about 3:30 p.m. They were just about to leave their car when the suspect approached.

He pulled out a firearm and stole their purses from inside the car, according to the Yonkers Daily Voice. He next fled down the driveway to a parked black Acura sedan, which sped away with an unidentified second suspect at the wheel.

Neither woman was injured, according to Yonkers police Detective Lt. Dean Politopoulos.

The suspect is a Black man in his late 20s or early 30s. He was dressed in a black baseball-style cap and a black T-shirt, and was wearing sunglasses.

Police continue to search for the suspect. If found, officers will likely apply for an arrest warrant that needs to be approved by a judge.

Drunk Casino Patrons Arrested in Pennsylvania

Two visitors to Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge Casino were apprehended at about 2 a.m. Sunday after one allegedly resisted arrest and the second allegedly helped him in his escape scheme.

The couple were both intoxicated and police tried to arrest one of them at the Upper Merion, Pa. gaming property.

The unnamed man appeared “unsteady on his feet,” Patch reported. He also began to argue with officers. Eventually, he allegedly tried to escape from custody when cops told him they were arresting him for public drunkenness.

At that point, the unnamed woman attempted to help him resist the officers, police said.

Eventually, both the man and woman were arrested and transported to Upper Merion Police Station. They were charged with resisting arrest, public drunkenness, and other counts.

TV Damaged by Illinois Casino Visitor

A man was apprehended on Thursday after he allegedly punched an LED flat-screen TV at Harrah’s Casino in Joliet, Ill.

Joliet cops arrested Antonio Valdez, 33, of Harvey, Ill., and charged him with criminal damage to property before booking him at the Will County Jail.

Casino security guards initially ordered Valdez to leave the gaming property due to his intoxication. He started to make his way to the casino’s parking garage when, on the way, he allegedly punched the TV in a hallway.

Valdez returned to the gaming property where he was apprehended by security guards. He was later turned over to local police.

Valdez punched the TV so hard, it broke, Punch reported. Its replacement value is about $700. He wasn’t injured from when his hand struck the television.

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Casino Crime Round Up: Man Murdered Near Bally’s Casino Atlantic City

A 34-year-old man was fatally shot on the Atlantic City boardwalk near Bally’s Casino on Saturday morning. A suspect was arrested.

Police officers on the Atlantic City boardwalk near Bally’s Casino
Police officers on the Atlantic City boardwalk near Bally’s Casino, pictured above. A man was fatally shot outside the casino this weekend. (Image: KYW)

Jahlil Boston, 34, of Egg Harbor City, N.J., was charged with murder and several other weapons and drug counts, prosecutors said.

The shooting took place at about 2 a.m. in the 1900 block of the boardwalk near Johnny Rockets restaurant at Bally’s.

The victim was identified by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office as Eric Wynn of Atlantic City.

Boston was apprehended shortly after the killing. He allegedly used a semi-automatic firearm in the shooting.

The prosecutor’s office in a statement noted that Shawn Steuber, a retired local officer now at the Atlantic City Headquarters for Intelligence Logistics Electronic Surveillance, quickly got a description of the suspect for police.

Boston remained in custody as of early this weekend at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

The weapons charges against Boston include: unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a weapon while in the course of possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of large capacity ammunition and magazine, and possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a predicate offense.

He was also charged with these drug counts: possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute while in a public zone.

It appears Boston knew Wynn before the shooting took place, officials said.

Officials didn’t release further details on the killing. It was unclear why the two men were near the casino.

Alleged Laundering of $38K at Hollywood Casino Joliet

John Tomaras was charged with money laundering following a series of recent incidents involving over $38,000 at Illinois’ Hollywood Casino Joliet.

The 53-year-old Rockdale, Ill. man allegedly laundered $38,180 at the casino between February 24 and March 10, according to Patch.

Tomaras was arrested on March 10. His bail was set at $50,000.

He was booked at Will County Jail on March 11. He was released after posting bond.

Man Arrested for Indiana Casino Cheating

Gankhuyag Noosoi was arrested after allegedly cheating while playing Baccarat at an Indiana gaming property.

The 54-year-old Chicago man was charged with cheating at gambling after a January 17 incident, according to the Chicago Tribune.

He either made a winning bet after the hand ended or he changed the bet to a winning hand from a losing hand after the Baccarat game was decided, the Tribune reported based on court documents.

Noosoi changed his bet from banker to player position as the dealer collected losing bets.

The casino lost $160 from the cheating, the report added. Noosoi paid the dealer $25.

Noosoi apparently had difficulty communicating with casino staff. He couldn’t speak fluent English given his native language is Mongolian.

The casino is located in Hammond, Ind. It wasn’t named in a media report.

In January 2022, Noosoi was also charged with cheating at gambling in Lake County, Indiana, the Tribune reported. It’s unclear how that charge was adjudicated in court.

Accused Casino Bandit Faces Up To 20 Years in Prison

Aaron Michael Kelly accepted a plea deal this month for the April 2022 armed robbery in the parking lot of Maryland’s Hollywood Casino.

The 23-year-old Middle River, Md., man now faces up to 20 years in prison, according to Maryland’s Cecil Whig newspaper.

Kelly agreed to plead guilty on March 6 to armed robbery and theft of more than $100 and less than $1,500 at the Cecil County Circuit Court, the newspaper added. He likely will be sentenced on May 16 by Judge Brenda A. Sexton.

The armed robbery took place in a parking lot at Hollywood Casino in Perryville on April 9, 2022.

Kelly allegedly opened the driver’s door of a parked car. He then placed a handgun on the driver’s head, authorities said. He allegedly demanded money from her. She gave him the cash, and he drove away. He was arrested in May.

Originally, he was charged with first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, loaded handgun on person, and numerous other charges.

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