Army Veteran, 82, Says Leg Implants Triggered Encore Casino Security Ordeal

An 82-year-old Army veteran claims metal implanted in his leg following hip surgery triggered a security detector at Encore Boston Harbor, setting off a chain of events that resulted in his alleged unlawful detention.

Robert M. Joost filed a civil-rights lawsuit Wednesday in Massachusetts federal court against the casino, the Everett Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and several officers whose names he does not yet know.

According to the complaint, Joost served with the Army’s First Cavalry Division near Korea’s Demilitarized Zone during the early 1960s. He later suffered a broken hip that required surgery and several metal rods to be inserted into his hip and upper leg. He also carries medical equipment because of other health problems.

Unwanted Attention

On May 30, 2026, Joost, who says he has visited Encore hundreds of times since its 2019 opening, passed through a security checkpoint at the casino entrance, setting it off. A guard directed him to undergo further screening, the lawsuit alleges.

Joost became frustrated at the unwanted attention and said he would leave, according to his account. He walked outside and boarded an Encore shuttle bound for South Station.

That was not the end of the matter.

As Joost climbed the bus steps, an officer and a casino guard ordered him back outside, the complaint claims. Several Everett and Massachusetts State Police officers then formed a semicircle around him. One officer had a dog, according to the lawsuit.

An Everett detective allegedly told Joost that the security system had identified what appeared to be a gun. Joost denied possessing a weapon and said the alert could have been caused by metal inside his body or medical items he carried, according to the filing.

Joost says he repeatedly asked to leave but was told police were investigating and that he was not free to go. He eventually surrendered his driver’s license, which the detective checked over a police radio, the complaint states.

The confrontation took place in view of other casino customers and continued after the shuttle departed, Joost alleges. Police later returned his license after approximately 15 minutes without arresting or charging him.

Casino security then told him he was barred from Encore and had to leave the property immediately, preventing him from waiting for another shuttle, according to the suit.

Long Walk Home

Joost claims he was forced to walk roughly a mile in poor weather to reach Sullivan Square station. He says the encounter left him humiliated, anxious, and emotionally distressed.

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of violating Joost’s constitutional rights and claims unlawful detention, abuse of process, negligence and intentional or negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Joost seeks a declaration that his rights were violated, along with $250,000 in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages from each defendant. He has requested a jury trial.

Casino.org has reached out to the casino, the Everett Police Department, and Massachusetts State Police for comment.