New Jersey Man Accused of Long-Term Chip Theft at Parx Casino

A New Jersey resident faces many charges after Pennsylvania State Police said he stole dozens of roulette chips over four hours at Parx Casino in Bensalem.

Authorities Say Casino Patron Lifted Dozens of Chips in Late-Night Scheme

Police claim that Joseph Francisco-Ribeiro Jr., 37, from Willingboro, took more than 80 in $5-chips from several roulette tables on July 17 night and early July 18 morning. Investigators report that cameras caught the thefts, which happened little by little. The suspect grabbed chips one or two at a time after other players put them down, reported local media outlet PhillyBurbs.com.

Casino security first spotted Francisco-Ribeiro around 2 a.m. on July 18 when they saw him take a $5 chip from a busy roulette table. Police say he gave the chip back and the player involved did not want to press charges. However, security staff decided to look at earlier video from that night, which they claim showed a much bigger pattern of stealing.

Video shows Francisco-Ribeiro taking about 30 chips from one table in 10 minutes, sometimes grabbing up to 10 chips in less than a minute. At one point, police claim he dropped a stolen chip and then pointed to a specific number on the table, causing another gambler to put a chip in the exact place he had just cleared.

Police say the suspect’s actions changed the results for at least two players who would have won with their stolen bets. One player could have won between $350 and $575, while the other might have earned between $175 and $350.

Authorities Say Four-Hour Chip Theft Led to 129 Criminal Counts

The State Police Gaming Enforcement Bureau estimates the casino’s total financial loss to be between $395 and $710. While the money lost seems small, officials point out that this involves many planned actions repeated over and over in one night.

Francisco-Ribeiro faces 129 misdemeanor charges, including theft by trickery and tampering to cheat. He is set to show up next month for an initial court hearing with District Judge Christopher E. O’Neill.

Parx Casino, situated on Street Road in Bensalem, stands as one of Pennsylvania’s busiest gambling spots, drawing in thousands of people every day. The alleged theft highlights the constant struggles casinos face to stop small but frequent cheating acts. These can be hard to spot as they happen, but pile up when checked on camera.If found guilty, Francisco-Ribeiro might have to pay fines and could end up in jail, based on how the court views the charges.