3972 stories by Philip Conneller
Chef Accused of Kitchen Killing for Casino Ticket Fit to Stand Trial
A chef accused of killing a colleague at a Gentry, Ark. restaurant on his second day on the job has been ruled fit to stand trial for capital murder, according to reports from The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Lawyers for the defendant, Martin Tavarez-Torres,...
Marina Bay Sands Cheating Syndicate Had ‘Secret Formula’ to Beat Baccarat
A Malaysian man pleaded guilty in a Singapore courtroom Tuesday to being a “marksman” in a cheating syndicate that bilked the Marina Bay Sands out of S$433,730 (US$315k). They used hidden mobile devices to relay card values to accomplices and appear to...
Brit Lawyer Jailed for Embezzling £1.85M Chasing Fake Lottery Jackpot
A top British lawyer who embezzled £1.85 million from his clients' accounts to give to lottery fraudsters has been sentenced to four years in prison. Hugh Lansdell, 74, pleaded guilty in September to one count of fraud by abuse of position after...
Nevada Unions Go to War Over Proposed $1.5B Las Vegas Baseball Stadium
The effort to bring a $1.5 billion Oakland A’s baseball stadium to the Las Vegas Strip on the site of The Tropicana Casino has sparked a proxy war between trade unions. A lawsuit filed in Carson City, Nev., on Thursday by two...
Wirecard Fugitive Jan Marsalek ‘Led Russian Spy Ring’ in UK
Wirecard’s former chief operating officer, the fugitive Jan Marsalek, was an alleged spymaster who fed orders to five Bulgarian nationals accused in the UK of spying for Russia. The extraordinary allegation was made by the Crown prosecutors in London’s Westminster Magistrates' Court...
‘Last Mafia Godfather’ Matteo Messina Denaro Dead at 61
Matteo Messina Denaro, believed to be the "capo di tutti capi," the boss of all bosses of the Sicilian Mafia, has died at age 61. Dubbed “the last Godfather” by the media, he was Italy’s most wanted man for 20 years before...
Natalee Holloway Suspect ‘Took Care of Things’ After Disappearance
Dutch national Joran van der Sloot, the one-time poker player and the prime suspect in the disappearance of American Natalee Holloway, once made a startling “confession” to a friend, new court filings show. Two days after Holloway went missing on the island...
Crockfords Casino, UK’s Oldest Gaming Club, at Risk of Closure
The future of Crockfords Casino, which claims to be the UK’s oldest gaming venue and is certainly one of its swankiest, hangs in the balance. The current owner, Malaysia’s Genting Group, has initiated a 30-day “consultation process” with its staff as it...
Poker Player Bluffed Terminal Cancer to Get WSOP Buy-In
A Vallejo, California man has admitted that he lied about having terminal colon cancer to raise the $10K buy-in to the World Series of Poker Main Event. Poker player Rob Mercer, 37, made $12,500 from a GoFundMe page and is believed to...
$2B Powerball Jackpot Plaintiff Says He’s Receiving Death Threats
An Altadena, Calif. man who claims he is the rightful recipient of the biggest lottery prize ever awarded says he has been dealing with death threats since suing the official winner. Jose Rivera claims the $2.08 billion-winning Powerball ticket was stolen from...
