In the bustling hub of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, an intricate hoax unfolded involving two men from Wexford, Penn., a sly dealer, a corrupt supervisor, and a few witting players. As the plot thickens, we find that the culprits manipulated the casino’s roulette system to stack their winnings illicitly, at the expense of the casino.
Unraveling the roulette conspiracy, we dig deeper into the culprits who ensued this crafty scandal. Chen Huan Lin, aged 67, and Joe Jeng Chiou Lin, aged 65, emerged as key beneficiaries of this ruse. The prosecution brought forth allegations against them in a new criminal complaint that explained how the scam unfolded.
With the collusion of the dealer, Robin Schnepp, and floor supervisor Anthony Laush, Joe and Chen procured their criminal winnings through the manipulation of certain roulette spins. It was through the illicit collusion with the dealer and the supervisor that the two men were able to exploit the ambiguous system, and their alliance with Jack Daniel Mars III, another player who was also charged last month, added another layer to their misdeeds.
This scandal burgeoned in the year 2024, in mid-January when the casino received an anonymous note. The exposé hinted at Schnepp and Laush’s plan to fleece the Interblock Roulette machines in the casino. Intriguingly, these machines allow players to place bets through touchscreens, which then settle electronically, making them an ideal target for those with more sinister motives.
Drawing attention to Schnepp’s roulette games, the handwritten note led to enhanced security surveillance— and the revelation of the trickery. According to the official complaint, it was discovered that Schnepp manipulated the roulette ball spin, enabling her co-conspirators to capitalize on this deception.
Contrary to the usual, where the ball should spin against the direction of the wheel, their scheme tricked the system so that the sensors couldn’t detect a spin when the ball traveled in the same direction as the wheel. Consequently, Joe and Chen could place their illicit bets once the ball landed on the chosen digit.
Astonishingly, had the appropriate measures been followed, the “voiding” of such an irregular spin by a table games supervisor would have stopped the scandal in its tracks. However, Laush, the incriminated supervisor, verified these devious spins bypassing the standard procedure, ensuring that the players who were aware of the ploy could continue their betting.
When the dust finally settled after the three deceptive episodes, the cynical manipulators appeared to have made quite a clean sweep. Joe and Chen walked away with over a staggering $14k from their cheating, the complaint alleges, while Mars, alongside an uncharged female suspect, pocketed more than $10k illegally.
In the aftermath of this scandal, all those implicated are now facing substantial criminal charges including illicit cheating, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property. A not-so-lucky end for those who were hoping to set the roulette wheel in their favor.
