By
Mike J. Davies
Editor in Chief at Casinos.US Updated: 11/15/2019
Mike is our Senior Editor and experienced gambling strategist. A former hockey player, he transitioned to the casino industry after finishing his B.A. in English. Blackjack systems, online casino guides, gambling terms, and more – Mike is familiar with all fine points of gambling.
The California casino has lost over $200,000 in the alleged embezzlement plot., Photo by Pixabay https://pixabay.com/photos/money-dollars-success-business-1428594/
In an alleged embezzlement plot, Red Hawk Tribal Casino in California has lost more than $200,000. Luc Mooc, a patron of the casino, and Prak Pich, who was the floor manager, have been arrested for their involvement in the crime.
According to Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra, Pich, as the floor manager, would extend credit lines to Mooc, who was a regular at the bar. He would use his position at the casino to change documents and make it seem like the credit line was already paid back by Mooc.
Beccera said that such credit lines, which are short-term and have no interest, are commonly provided to patrons by casinos. This allows them easy access to funds for gambling. The loan is then paid back by the patron in a pre-set, short amount of time. However, with Mooc and Pich, instead of paying back the loans to the casino as should be done, the pair conspired to steal the money which would range between $12,000 and $14,000 at a time.
Initially, bail for each of the people arrested was set at $200,000. However, the judge had the authority to change the bail amount during the court appearance, so current bail amount details are not known yet.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, and the two people arrested are being held at El Dorado County Jail until court appearances are made. They were arrested last week on Thursday and were arraigned on Monday before Judge Mark Ralphs.
The case is being investigated by the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Gambling Control and surveillance staff. According to a statement made by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, his officer is ready to fight anyone who breaks the law in an attempt to get rich quick. He added that the California Department of Justice would carry out their duty in order to take care of criminal activities in the state.
The Red Hawk Tribal casino is operated by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.
This is not the first time the Red Hawk Tribal Casino is involved in a scandal where it lost huge amounts of money. Just last year, in November, the casino, along with another venue, was the target of a $1.1 million fraud scheme. For the crime, a woman from Georgia was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison.
Moreover, this alleged embezzlement is the second scandal at an area casino that has happened in the last few weeks. Just last month, Stones Gambling Hall located in Citrus Heights, about 34 miles from Placerville, found itself slapped with a lawsuit.
The gambling hall was sued for $30 million by a group of gamblers who claimed that a fellow gambler named Michael Postle, was cheating. The group of 24 players alleged that they were financially harmed by the improper management at Stones. Although Postle, the defendant has denied the claims, the lawsuit alleges that during a series of streams, he cheated as he was somehow informed about the hole cards of other players.
Regarding the suit, Stones Gambling Hall has launched its own inquiry and has stopped all streams temporarily. It has also halted the used of RFID cards.
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