Atlantic City Man Gets 7½ Years for Harrah’s Nightclub Thanksgiving Stabbing
Posted on: October 8, 2025, 05:34h.
Last updated on: October 8, 2025, 05:37h.
- Braxton sentenced for stabbing during Harrah’s casino nightclub brawl.
- Surveillance video showed knife attack amid Thanksgiving weekend fight.
- Judge imposed 7½-year term under No Early Release Act.
A 27-year-old Atlantic City man was sentenced Monday to seven and a half years in state prison for stabbing a man during a Thanksgiving brawl inside Harrah’s Casino nightclub, “The Pool in Harrah’s,” according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
Dante Braxton pleaded guilty in August to second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in relation to the 2022 attack. Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, he must serve 85% of the term before becoming eligible for parole, and he will be on intensive parole supervision for three years after release, according to prosecutors.
Melee Breaks Out
Police were called to Harrah’s on Nov. 24, 2022, where officers found a man with stab wounds to the elbow and abdomen. Surveillance footage and cellphone videos taken by patrons showed Braxton stabbing the victim inside a lounge area as fights broke out, according to ACPO. Afterward, he followed the victim outside and threw a metal chair, the office said.
The victim was treated for nonfatal stab wounds, authorities said.
Security video also revealed a failure at the door: Braxton set off a metal detector on entry, but guards did not wand or search him, prosecutors said.
In March 2023, a judge released Braxton after a detention hearing where the defense argued the alleged victim had no stab wound and an officer’s report described the injury as a “poke,” prompting the judge to question the strength of the case in the absence of a recovered weapon.
Braxton denied stabbing at that time, BreakingAC reported. He was later returned to custody on separate drug charges and remained jailed thereafter, the outlet reported.
Prior Convictions
In August 2025, Braxton changed course and admitted in court that he stabbed the victim with a knife, accepting a plea deal that came with a seven-and-a-half-year term. Monday’s hearing made that punishment official, prosecutors said.
The sentence runs alongside concurrent terms on unrelated indictments, including possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, obstruction, and contempt of a Drug Offender Restraining Order, which were resolved as part of the same plea package.
Braxton previously served a five-year prison sentence stemming from a 2017 weapons case involving a gun reported stolen from Colorado.
The Thanksgiving-week melee drew wide attention in 2022. The case was investigated by the Atlantic City Police Department, with assistance from the prosecutor’s office. Assistant Prosecutor Chris D’Esposito handled the prosecution.
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