Casino Crime Roundup: Improper Roulette Play Leads to Cheating, Theft Charges

Posted on: March 20, 2024, 05:08h. 

Last updated on: March 21, 2024, 11:50h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Four arrests have taken place after two nefarious roulette plots recently came to light in different locations.

roulette wheel
A roulette wheel, pictured above. Two roulette plots led to arrests. (Image: Investors Digest)

A cheating scheme occurred at a roulette table at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, and unrelated tampering occurred on a roulette machine at Louisiana’s Boomtown New Orleans Casino, authorities revealed.

In one case, two Rivers Casino Pittsburgh employees were arrested over the weekend for a “complex cheating conspiracy,” according to Pennsylvania TV station WPXI.

Robin Schnepp, a table games dealer, and Anthony Laush, a gaming floor supervisor, allegedly took part in the plot dating back to December. The scheme was linked to at least two roulette players.

Both workers are scheduled to appear in court on April 2. The scheme led the players to collect illicit jackpots  which totaled thousands of dollars, the report said.

Improper Spin

The game in question was Interblock Roulette, in which a dealer spins the ball manually. The ball is supposed to be spun against the direction of the roulette wheel, WPXI reported.

If the appropriate spin doesn’t take place, bets can continue to be placed by players.

Schnepp spun the ball improperly, according to Pennsylvania State Police. That allowed a man and woman to bet additional amounts. Afterward, Laush improperly approved the spin, police said.

State Police also have arrested Jack Daniel Mars III, who was identified as one of the players involved in the scheme, police said. Officers are still trying to identify the female suspect.

The plot reportedly allowed the couple to collect more than $4K. Laush also gave the man valuable improper comps, police added. In total, Rivers Casino reportedly lost more than $10K from the improper activities.

Someone witnessed the fraudulent play and alerted authorities earlier this year.

The specific charges against the trio were not immediately available.

$68K in Illicit Payouts

In the second crime, a man pleaded not guilty last week to tampering with a roulette machine at Boomtown New Orleans Casino, according to the New Orleans Advocate news outlet.

The plot led the man to collect about $68K in improper winnings from the Harvey, La. gaming property over three days in August 2022, authorities said.

Michael Shea, 33, of Coral Springs, Fla., was arrested on February 22. He is charged with three counts of theft and two counts of modifying gaming equipment.

A second unnamed person is also suspected in the plot.

The pair’s activities were detected in surveillance video and casino security guards then notified local police officers, who launched an inquiry.

As of last week, Shea remained in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. His bail was set at $60K. So far, the second suspect hasn’t yet been charged.

Police determined that the pair were at the gaming property for three days. On one day, the duo cashed 12 tickets for $31.5K. On a second day, the two cashed nine tickets for about $19K. The suspects returned on a third day when they cashed an unspecified number of tickets for more than $17.8K.

Shea is also a suspect in a gambling case in Missouri, the Advocate reported.