Armed Man Busted For Stealing From Illinois CasinoGaming Officers Tracked Casino Chips To His Home |
|
Casinos continue to prove too enticing for criminals seeking some quick cash. After some major casino thefts made news in recent weeks, a man has been charged with armed robbery of an Illinois casino, making off with more than $14,000 in casino chips on Halloween.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) alleges Ismail Ahmed Ateyat, of Chicago Ridge, donned a back ski mask and entered the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Using a handgun, he demanded money from employees before making off with the chips.
Serious Charges Ahead
The suspect may not have counted on absconding with high-tech chips. Gaming Board officers were able to track the chips to Ateyat’s house and recovered them along with the mask allegedly used during the crime.
Ateyat now faces three counts of armed robbery and is being held without bail. His next court appearance is set for Nov. 30.
“Because of the swift and diligent work by our gaming agents and our local law enforcement partners, we were able to arrest this individual and recover the stolen casino chips,” IGB administrator Marcus D. Fruchter said. “I am grateful to our gaming agents, Illinois State Police, Chicago Ridge Police, and the staff at Rivers Casino.”
The IGB not only serves as the state regulatory body, but also as the law enforcement agency responsible for overseeing the state’s 15 casinos, 11 sportsbooks, and more than 8,400 video gaming establishments.
Just The Latest Casino Robbery Attempt
Casinos are frequent targets for criminals and several cases have made news recently. In October, former Las Vegas police officer Caleb Rogers was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for armed robberies at the Red Rock, Aliante, and Rio casinos in 2022-23.
In September, Erik Gutierrez Martinez was found guilty of scamming more than $1 million from Circa Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas after impersonating the owner. He was also believed to have conducted similar scams at other Nevada casinos as well – the Eureka Casino in Mesquite and the Golden Nugget in Laughlin as well.
Poker players have been frequent targets for robberies as well. In 2016, a crook mistakenly robbed Doyle Brunson’s neighbor believing he was at the poker legend’s home.
Antonio Esfandiari was robbed of $1 million in cash, chips, jewelry, and other valuables in 2020. In 2016, Darren Elias was also victimized when an armed man broke into his home and held a 19-year-old babysitter at gunpoint in a search for valuables.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
