Indiana: Robberies of area gambling winners

Robberies of area gambling winners might be connected
Union County man beaten after visit to new casino

LIBERTY, Ind. -- Union County authorities say three people accused in Cincinnati of robbing gambling winners from the Hollywood Casino could be connected to a similar case that occurred here in June 2009.

Hamilton County authorities on Wednesday arrested Ugbe Ojile, 34, of New York, Kenyatta Erkins, 35, of College Hill, and Amy Hoover, 25, of Colerain Township, after officers set up an undercover operation to capture the alleged thieves.

The trio is suspected of 25 similar robberies in Hamilton County, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana in which the victim was followed home from the casino and robbed, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Union County resident Jim Estridge was beaten and robbed June 29, 2009, by two men when he returned to his rural Liberty home from Lawrenceburg's Hollywood Casino just days after the new casino opened.

Estridge might have been the first victim, because Lawrenceburg authorities said last year they had never had a case where a victim was followed home from the casino.
Estridge had stitches and staples to repair the cuts caused by the pistol-whipping. He described his attackers as black, in their 20s to 30s and about 6 feet tall. Both wore ski masks and gloves, but Estridge could identify the men's race because of the skin around their eyes, Sheriff Eric Cantrell said after the attack.

Authorities had a picture of a man who was sitting next to Estridge that night at the casino and also from the cameras at the exits, but were unable then to identify him, Cantrell said last year.

Chief Deputy Jeff Franklin said Friday that Cantrell will be talking with Hamilton County authorities about the arrests.

"It definitely makes you wonder. We'll be looking at it to see if we can make the connection," Franklin said. "The two men arrested were also black."

Victims were attacked as they sat in their driveways or entered their homes, Deters said. Estridge, 61, had just gone to bed around 2 a.m. when the men broke into the house.

Ojile and Erkins were indicted by a grand jury Thursday on charges of aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Hoover was indicted on aggravated robbery charges.

Deters called the Thursday press conference to announce the arrest and indictment of the trio, and to ask for help to find other victims who didn't report being robbed.
"They're embarrassed. They're not supposed to be there. Who knows?" Deters said of reasons other robberies weren't reported.

"We believe others are out there (who) may have been robbed. These individuals would target victims they saw winning money, follow them from the casino to their homes or hotels and at gunpoint commit aggravated robbery."