A dealer and player at the Encore Boston Harbor casino were sentenced after being convicted of stealing $15,000 at a baccarat table, Massachusetts officials revealed on Friday.
The dealer, Jianming Li from Delaware, and a casino guest, Jun Na Zhang from New York, were charged following two incidents in November 2019. In the high-limit room of the casino, Li memorized the card sequence and revealed it to Zhang, authorities said.
Both men were sentenced for two counts of cheating and swindling more than $1,000, along with a single count of larceny over $1,200 by a single scheme. Li received a 364-day sentence, which was suspended for two years. Zhang also received a 364-day sentence, but he was required to serve six months in prison. His sentence was similarly suspended for two years.
In another incident, a San Jose, California man was charged with murder after allegedly fatally shooting a co-worker over a gambling debt. On September 22, Duc Minh Bui, 33, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Regulus “Reggie” Teotico, 45. Both men worked at the Valley Transportation Authority, and the victim was shot on September 20 at the Chaboya Division Yard.
The two men often spent time together after work hours. “They were known to participate in the same activities outside of their VTA employment,” Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Capt. Sugey Jaimez told The Mercury News. “We believe the motive had to do with money owed between the two from their betting activities, which had nothing to do with their employment.”
Additionally, a man was arrested this week after allegedly having another casino visitor collect his $2,500 payout. Henry Rogan, 61, of Terre Haute, Indiana, was arrested on Tuesday for the plot at Bally’s Casino in Evansville, Indiana. He was booked at the Vanderburgh County Jail.
In 2022, Indiana Gaming Commission officers approached Rogan in the casino and informed him that having someone else collect a jackpot is a criminal offense. Rogan responded that he had let the other man collect the cash because that man had previously given him money to gamble, police said. Rogan also mentioned that the two men often “played together” at Bally’s Casino. However, upon further questioning, Rogan admitted to owing child support money, which would mean the state would seize any casino winnings to cover the back child support.
Later, the Indiana Gaming Commission officers questioned the other man, who revealed he didn’t even know Rogan and claimed that Rogan had approached him about participating in the scheme. Police confirmed that the two men were strangers before this encounter.