PA Casino Employee Deals Fake Blackjack Hands, Faces Charges

Across the United States, cheating at casinos is subject to different penalties. Oftentimes in cheating cases, more than one person is involved. This is because to successfully cheat on some games, an accomplice such as a dealer or another player is required. In one such criminal case from Pennsylvania, an employee is facing charges after allegedly dealing close to 200 fraudulent blackjack hands.

The Dealer’s Actions Resulted in Nearly $22K Losses

The case in question involves a 33-year-old Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights resident identified with the initials J.L.S., employed at Rivers Casino. The woman was recently hit with several charges, Trib Live reports citing data from Pennsylvania State Police. An investigation into the employee’s actions uncovered that she dealt 192 fraudulent hands of blackjack.

The unlawful actions of the 33-year-old woman started on October 26 this year and continued through November 2. Overall, the casino worker’s actions resulted in the loss of $21,869 for Rivers Casino. It is yet to be confirmed whether or not police have identified an accomplice or accomplices of the card dealer.

The woman faces charges of manipulating a game of chance, conspiracy and theft by unlawful taking. Theft by unlawful taking of a sum above $2,000 but less than $25,000 in Pennsylvania is recognized as a third-degree felony. As such, if a person is found guilty of the crime, they may be subject to a maximum of seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000.

Although the casino employee was released from custody, she is set to appear later this month for a preliminary hearing of her case. The 33-year-old’s hearing in front of the Pittsburgh Municipal Court is scheduled for November 20.

Video Footage Helps Uncover the Fraudulent Actions

The charges against the casino employee follow an investigation. Through CCTV footage examined by law enforcement together with representatives of the state’s gambling regulator, the dealer’s actions were identified.

The woman was allegedly seen taking chips from the chip rack and in some cases not taking money from lost wagers. In other cases, the Rivers Casino employee paid extra on winning hands or paid when a bet was lost.

Thanks to the investigation, the authorities discovered that the dealer engaged in unlawful actions on October 26, 28 and 30. Then, the fraud continued on November 2. Interestingly, the fraudulent hands increased from seven on the first day to a whopping 71 on the last day.