Dealer and Players Charged for Conspiring to Defraud Casino

The Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), a body comprised of Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers, has arrested and charged three people believed to have been involved in a casino cheating scheme. According to the allegations, a dealer was in cahoots with two players to defraud the casino.

The investigation at the Pickering Casino Resort was launched on May 4 after authorities were tipped off about a potential cheating scheme. Following that, members of the IEB, which is a part of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), arrested three people, including one dealer, who are believed to have tried to cheat the gambling property.

The dealer, Amadeo Rojas, 60, of Scarborough, was charged with two counts of criminal breach of trust, two counts of cheat at play and two counts of fraud over CAD 5,000.

The two players, Noel Sarsonas, 66, and Jeffery Pardinis, 33, of Scarborough and Pickering respectively, were charged with cheat at play and fraud over CAD 5,000.

The alleged cheaters have since been released from custody but the investigation continues. The trio is set to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa.

Not the First Time a Dealer Has Tried to Cheat

This is not the first time a Pickering Casino Resort dealer has tried to collaborate with players to defraud the casino. In August 2023, the OPP was contacted about another similar scheme. Back then, the authorities were notified that a table games dealer at the casino was allegedly involved in the scheme along with visitors.

After investigating the matter, the authorities arrested four people who were slapped with charges. The dealer with the initials S.S. has been charged with four counts of cheating at play, criminal breach of trust, as well as four counts of fraud over CAD 5,000. The three players were charged with fraud of over CAD 5,000 as well as possession of property of over CAD 5,000 obtained in an illegal way.

Speaking of Pickering Casino Resort, the property unfortunately became the site of a deadly shooting. On October 9, Michael Ferdinand, a security guard at the venue, was fatally wounded during a shootout. While medical experts tried to save the 34-year-old, his wounds proved to be too serious.

Following the shootout, the Pickering Casino Resort, operated by the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, was temporarily closed to allow authorities to investigate the scene.