A blackjack dealer working at Seneca Gaming Corporation’s Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Upstate New York has been taken to court. The employee in question is the 21 years-old Emily M. Torres from Lackawanna, NY, and she was accused of colluding with two patrons of the casino and allegedly aiding them to win several thousands of dollars by showing them cards they should not have seen.
The charges are in relation to an incident that happened just days before her initial arrest. Ms. Torres was detained on September 8, 2022, after allegations stated that she flashed her cards to two gamblers at the table. Thus, allowing Mark M. Watson, Jr. and Rahat Hossain to win collectively approximately US$7.5k on the night of August 14, and early morning of August 15.
Not the First Case
Ms. Torres’ trial has now begun and prosecutors are also accusing her of using the same gimmick to help another gambler, Jordan Mack, who allegedly won US$5,700 on August 10, 2022. The perpetrator has allegedly flashed her cards to the 44-year-old Mr. Mack from Friendship, NY, on 62 separate occasions, which was picked up by the eye in the sky.
Court documents state that the 28-year-old Mr. Watson and the 34-year-old Hossain, both from Buffalo, played blackjack for around two and a half hours on August 14, 2022. And won US$5,3000 and just over US$2,200, respectively. Mr. Torres was then arrested when she appeared for work the next day. Her three accomplices were also detained and charged with gaming fraud.
The court informed that all four of the suspects have not pleaded guilty, however, Mr. Watson and Mr. Hossain have both repaid their alleged fraudulent winnings to the casino. Also, they have been released on their own recognizance and were banned from entering the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino and from setting foot on any casino owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.
The charge of gaming fraud or also known as a Class E felony is not usual for the state, as since upstate casinos started to open in 2017, only four individuals have been arrested for it. First-degree gaming fraud, which relates to the theft of more than US$1,000, is punishable under state law by up to four years in prison, a probation term of five years, and payment of a fine.
Other Illegal Activities
But despite the lack of gaming fraud arrests, the New York Police Department has dealt with other kinds of gambling-related crimes. A few months ago, the NYPD busted a Mafia-owned betting parlour, at Sal’s Shoe Repair in Merrick, Long Island. Police arrested nine people responsible for running the illegal gambling parlour and they are part of the Genovese and Bonanno families.
Back in April, the state also found former convict Abduraman “The Diamond” Iseni guilty of running several illegal dens in Brooklyn, NY. US District Court Judge Andrew L. Carter ruled that the perpetrator will be sentenced to 51 months of prison time for hosting the illegal gambling operations allegedly tied to the mafia in “Friendly Cafe,” “Oasis Cafe,” and “Sports Cafe.”
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