Las Vegas Crime

Suspect arrested in connection with two gang-related crimes

By Krista Hostetler
CREATED OCT. 10, 2012

Police: Rio, UMC shootings connected

Metro continues investigating weekend gang shootout

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV)

 -- A man was arrested this week for his involvement in connection with two area crimes.

 

The LVMPD Gang Crimes Bureau apprehended 24-year-old Abdullah Sykes of Las Vegas on four counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, four counts of assault with a deadly weapon and battery with a deadly weapon.

In March, officers responded to shots being fired in a parking garage at the Rio Hotel and Casino.

Officers observed multiple gunshots being fired by numerous individuals, both on foot and in vehicles, along with multiple people and vehicles trying to flee the area.

The men were transported to UMC Trauma with non-life threatening injuries in the incident. Later that day, officers responded to UMC to investigate reports of shots being fired at that location. They found two individuals suffering from what appeared to be gunshot wounds.

http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/173623641.html

Visiting couple beaten and robbed on the Las Vegas Strip

By Molly Waldron

CREATED OCT. 4, 2012

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- This week's edition of Crime Beat features a group of men who police say have been viciously targeting visitors on the Las Vegas Strip.

It was the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Tourist Crimes Unit that busted the suspects, who they were already well-known by law enforcement.

Police say getting the men behind bars is a huge step in taking back the Strip from criminals who prey on tourists.

What was supposed to be a fun night on the Strip ended with a trip to the emergency room after a couple was violently attacked.

It happened at about 1:30 a.m. on a pedestrian bridge at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo.

"The male had a lot of contusions, large bumps to his head," Metro Detective Ben Rose said. "Said he had been beat multiple times with fists by a variety of individuals, and also got hit by a bottle."

His girlfriend, who was pregnant, was also pushed to the ground. The couple found out the next day they had lost their baby.

Detectives Rose and Brad Walford were behind the investigation to find the men who beat up the couple.

All of the suspects are in their mid-twenties with lengthy criminal records.

Police believe the group has been targeting tourists for a long time. 

In this case, investigators say the suspects got away with the couple's money, laptop and other valuables. 

Police caught them with the help of a taxi driver's surveillance camera, as well as victim and witness testimony.

"Our job is to protect the strip and that's why we work so tirelessly to make sure we got these individuals," Detective Rose said. "Not just for this case, but the other cases that they've done. So we hold these guys to justice so they can't do it again." 

Police say many criminals target out-of-towners because the chance of them coming back to testify in court is rare.

http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/172749301.html

Caesars: a pattern of abuse

Nevada fines Caesars for 'pattern' of underage gambling

Caesars Entertainment Corp. agreed to pay the state of Nevada a $100,000 fine to settle underage gambling charges. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press) By John M. Glionna July 27, 2012, 12:43 p.m. LAS VEGAS – This tourist city has for years prided itself as a destination for the entire family – from Daddy and Mommy on down to little Junior. But Caesars seems to have taken the concept a bit too far. It was busted this week for what many might consider the unthinkable: kids on the casino floor – gasp! – placing bets.   This week, the Caesars Entertainment Corp. agreed to pay the state of Nevada a $100,000 fine to settle underage gambling charges, and the state’s Gaming Control Board warns that the outfit may face a stiffer penalty if any hanky-panky poker or slot machine incidents happen again.   “This is not an isolated incident, but a pattern of abuse,” Nevada Gaming Commissioner Randolph Townsend said Thursday as the regulatory panel voted to accept the settlement with Caesars over multiple charges of gambling and alcohol consumption by underage customers at several of the company's resorts on the Strip between 2010 and May of this year.     He warned that the casino was getting off easy. This time. Board members say a paltry $100,000 is certainly not enough to send a message to the fantastically wealthy industry. But the settlement, negotiated by Nevada Deputy Atty. Gen. John Michela, was based on history and precedent.   "If it happens again, I want a seven-figure settlement or else we will litigate it," Townsend said. "As we enter the Internet gaming world, this becomes a significant issue."   It is against the law for anyone under the age of 21 to partake in any kind of gaming in Las Vegas. In fact, anyone under that age is forbidden from loitering on the casino floor.   Caesars Entertainment spokesman Gary Thompson told reporters that the company "has been recognized as a leader in responsible gaming" and is "committed to its programs, including Project 21, which addresses underage gambling." [When Harrah's, now Caesars, determined that 90% of their profits originated from 10% of their patrons, they targeted, comped and pursued them. That's Gambling Addiction. Nothing 'RESPONSIBLE' HERE.] Under terms of the July 9 settlement, Caesars agreed to pay the $100,000 fine and admitted to all violations in the complaint. The company has 60 days to report how it has addressed the issues.   Investigators say employees of Caesars Palace, Harrah's Las Vegas, Rio and Flamingo allowed customers between the ages of 17 and 20 to play table games at the properties even though dealers were presented identification showing gamblers were under the age of 21. In May, a dealer at Caesar's Palace reportedly misread the passport of a 19-year-old and allowed him to play blackjack.   Also in May, Bobbi Kristina Brown, the 19-year-old daughter of the late Whitney Houston, was caught on camera gambling in Las Vegas – playing slots with her 22-year-old boyfriend, Nick Gordon.   In 2007, an underage Las Vegas man tried to recoup his $600 loss at the Venetian by telling hotel officials he wasn't old enough to gamble legally. He was later prosecuted on misdemeanor charges. http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-nevada-gaming-board-kiddie-gamblers-vegas-20120727,0,4816718.story

Rio Casino [Caesars] shooting injures 5

Caesars unable to ensure your safety --

5 hurt in shootings outside Vegas casino, hospital
KEN RITTER
The Associated Press


LAS VEGAS - Police fired shots in the parking structure of a Las Vegas resort casino as they interrupted a gang-related gunbattle just hours before the marquee event of a NASCAR race weekend that brought hundreds of thousands of tourists to town, authorities said Monday.

Three people were wounded in the gunfire as others dove for cover shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday on the fourth floor of the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino parking structure, police said.

One wounded man disappeared while two were taken to University Medical Center, where gunfire in the parking lot about 90 minutes later wounded two more men. Police believe the two shootings are related.

The man who initially disappeared arrived at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center across town at about 6 a.m., and he was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.

Police said it was lucky no one was killed and no bystanders were hurt as parked cars were peppered with bullets in the Rio's broad cement parking garage.

"There were a number of innocent people that were up there just getting in their cars, that just arrived or leaving the area," Deputy Las Vegas Police Chief Jim Owens told reporters at a news conference Monday. But there were no uninvolved people who were struck by stray gunfire, he said.

Uniformed officers were in the area, working overtime for special weekend events, and they arrived just seconds after reports of gunfire in the parking structure, which is several blocks west of the Las Vegas Strip, Owens said.

The officers fanned out after finding blood on the ground and a metal baseball bat in a trash barrel. One officer shot several times at a man he saw firing a weapon and running toward him. The gunman, a 22-year-old North Las Vegas man, was wounded. Police said it wasn't clear if the officer was the person who shot him.

No police officers were injured.

Officer Jacinto Rivera, a department spokesman, said detectives were checking casino and parking lot surveillance video and seeking witnesses to an earlier dispute outside the Crown Nightclub, which is at the Rio. Police think that altercation may have led to the shooting.

"The individuals who were involved were gang members," Rivera said. "We don't know the motivation."

The shooting at University Medical Center happened after a crowd of more than 30 people gathered in a parking lot to support the two who were being treated inside. Witnesses saw three people standing a short distance from the crowd before shots were fired, Owens said. The shooters fled, and police later found a handgun at the scene.

Rivera and Owens said all five of the wounded men were expected to survive their injuries.

The officer who fired shots was on paid leave pending a review of the shooting. Police were withholding his name for 48 hours.

The shooting and the investigation forced the closure of the Rio parking structure until midday and disrupted plans for hundreds of people in town for NASCAR events, including Sunday's featured Sprint Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Rio's parent company, Caesars Entertainment Corp., delayed checkout times, provided breakfast vouchers and offered shuttle service to the track and other Strip properties while police collected evidence, company spokesman Gary Thompson said.



Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/20120312_ap_5hurtinshootingsoutsidevegascasinohospital.html?c=r#ixzz1p166Nkjb

Moody's warns Caesars' debt burden....

Moody's warns Caesars' debt burden may 'weaken competitive position'
By Howard Stutz
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Investors in Caesars Entertainment were warned Wednesday the casino operator is not out of the woods financially despite companywide cost-cutting measures.

In an analysis report on the Las Vegas-based casino operator, Moody's Investor's Service said Caesars, which operates 10 Strip-area casinos, including Caesars Palace, Rio, Harrah's and Bally's, doesn't have any significant long-term debt coming due until 2015.

However, the company's debt of more than $23 billion "is eating its cash and may weaken its competitive position."

Caesars, which had been known as Harrah's Entertainment, became privately held in a 2008 private equity buyout valued at $29 billion. The company does have publicly held debt and attempted to list some shares publicly last year before abandoning the plan.

Rio ordered to return $471,000 in gambling losses

Rio ordered to return $471,000 in gambling losses
By Steve Green

The administrator of a bankrupt Illinois company won a $471,250 judgment Thursday against a Las Vegas casino after complaining officials at the firm used company funds to pay gambling debts while it was insolvent.

The judgment was entered against Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s Rio hotel-casino in favor of William Brandt Jr., liquidating administrator of Equipment Acquisition Resources Inc. of Palatine, Ill.

Equipment Acquisition Resources (EAR) collapsed in October 2009 after it “engaged in a massive fraud by which it sold equipment at inflated prices and leased the equipment back from various lenders,” Brandt said in court papers.

In hopes of recovering funds for creditors owed $175 million, Brandt in the bankruptcy case filed adversary complaints against several organizations including the Rio, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Wynn Las Vegas and the Luxor — all on and near the Las Vegas Strip.

The complaints say that while managing EAR, executives Sheldon Player, his wife, Donna Malone, and Mark Anstett had EAR send money to the casinos to cover gambling debts and that these payments amounted to “fraudulent transfers” as EAR received nothing of value in return for the money.

A default judgment against the Rio was entered Thursday after attorneys for the casino didn’t respond to the complaint. A similar default judgment for $30,250 is pending against Caesars Entertainment’s Harrah’s Las Vegas, which also has not answered the complaint.

Caesars Entertainment didn’t have an immediate comment on the cases Thursday. If the failure to respond was inadvertent, Caesars attorneys can petition to the court to set aside the default.

Wynn Las Vegas, which allegedly received $1.785 million from EAR, is contesting Brandt’s complaint with its attorneys saying the money at issue was not the property of EAR but rather was compensation to its executives Player, Malone and Anstett.

The Luxor, owned by MGM Resorts International, is also contesting Brandt’s complaint seeking the return of $236,500.

“Malone, Anstett, Player and/or other directors, officers, employees or agents directed that their compensation be paid directly to defendant (Luxor), instead of to them,” an attorney for the Luxor wrote in court papers answering the complaint last week. “Defendant took the transfers in good faith and without knowledge of the alleged voidability of the transfers.

“At or about the time of the transfers, the debtor routinely disregarded its corporate form such that it was essentially operated as the alter ego of Malone, Anstett, Player and/or other directors, officers, employees or agents of the debtor.

“As such, any reasonably equivalent value provided by defendant (Luxor) for the transfers to the debtor, Malone, Anstett, and/or other directors, officers, employees or agents of the debtor, must be viewed as reasonably equivalent value provided to all such parties,” Luxor’s response said.

Wynn fights return of fraudulent debt payments

Wynn fights demand for return of gambling debt payments

The bankruptcy liquidator for an Illinois company tainted by fraud is encountering resistance in his efforts to recover millions of dollars he says was wrongly sent to Las Vegas casinos to cover gambling debts.

The liquidating bankruptcy plan administrator for Equipment Acquisition Resources Inc. of Palatine, Ill., William Brandt Jr., filed suit in October in bankruptcy court in Illinois against Wynn Las Vegas, the Luxor, the Rio and Harrah's hotel-casinos — all on or near the Las Vegas Strip.

The suits charge Equipment Acquisition Resources (EAR) sent checks to the casinos to cover gambling debts for EAR executives including Sheldon Player, his wife Donna Malone and Mark Anstett. Those executives all left the company before or as Brandt took over.

EAR, which claimed to be in the semiconductor machinery sales business, was forced to file for bankruptcy in October 2009 after it "engaged in a massive fraud by which it sold equipment at inflated prices and leased the equipment back from various lenders,'' the administrator's lawsuits say.

"The debtor misrepresented the value of the equipment and pledged certain equipment multiple times to secure the financing,'' the suits say, adding EAR was, "in effect, not a real, functioning company.''

EAR from October 2005 to October 2009 sent 21 checks to Wynn totaling $1.785 million so "Player, Malone, Anstett or others personally could engage in gambling and gaming activities at one or more of the Wynn casinos,'' the suit against Wynn charges.

"The debtor did not receive any value for making the payments,'' the lawsuit charges.

It further alleges some of the payments were "fraudulent transfers'' as "the debtor received less than reasonably equivalent value for the transfers.''

When the checks were cut "the debtor either was insolvent'' or had unreasonably small capital or was incurring debt it would be unable to pay, the suits say.

The suit against Wynn sought return, for the benefit of EAR creditors, of the $1.785 million. The trustee also sought $236,500 from the Luxor, $471,000 from the Rio and $30,000 from Harrah's.

Court records show the administrator has also been looking into at least $4.3 million in payments to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., $584,000 in payments to the Ameristar Casino in East Chicago, Ind., and at least $30,000 to the Palms hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Complaints, however, have not been filed against those properties.

Among the casinos sued, Wynn so far is the first and only defendant to answer the complaint and last week it disputed the assertions the $1.785 million should be paid back.

An attorney for Wynn argued in a court filing that the money paid to Wynn was not the property of EAR but rather was compensation to its executives Player, Malone and Anstett.

As EAR officers, board members or employees, "they were entitled to receive compensation and/or other remuneration from the debtor,'' Wynn's filing said.

"The transfers were compensation for services rendered by Malone, Anstett and/or Player,'' the filing said. "Malone, Anstett and/or Player directed that their compensation by paid directly to defendant (Wynn), instead of to them.''

Wynn's filing also argued Wynn "provided value'' to the EAR executives by "among other things, applying the transfers in satisfaction of Malone's, Anstett's and/or Player's debts to defendant (Wynn).''

The EAR bankruptcy has attracted attention in Midwest banking circles and the nation's equipment financing industry, with the liquidating officer saying the company ran a Ponzi scheme.

As part of the bankruptcy, the bankrupt company sued Player, Malone, Anstett and several limited liability companies saying EAR reported net income of $17.3 million in 2007 and $34.9 million in 2008, but charging: "Beginning in at least 2005, the individual defendants, for the purpose of enriching themselves, the Player children and the LLC defendants at the debtor's expense, misappropriated debtor's assets to purchase real and personal property and funded the LLC defendants.''

Reports in Crain's Chicago Business and Bankruptcy Court Decisions News & Comment indicate many lenders to EAR apparently were unaware its president, Player — now of Jackson Hole, Wyo., and Chicago — had served 31 months in prison for a massive loan fraud in the 1980s involving equipment sales and leasing and victimizing Greyhound Leasing & Financial Corp. of Phoenix (which later became part of FINOVA Group).

Player, then a businessman in Vernal, Utah, and Mesa, Ariz., had used phony collateral to borrow $66 million from Greyhound on the pretense it was intended for machinery leases and sales in which Player was the middleman. He instead plowed some of the money into Arizona real estate ventures and Greyhound sustained tens of millions of dollars of losses.

A 1985 Wall Street Journal story on Player quoted a Greyhound attorney as calling Player's scheme "one of the most complicated, sophisticated and convoluted frauds I've ever seen.''

The story noted that at the time, Player was an avid gambler who frequently flew in his private plane with employees and business associates to play baccarat at Caesars Palace.

With criminal investigators looking into the collapse of EAR, Player has declined comment on that case, Crain's Chicago Business reported.

EAR creditors owed some $175 million will likely recover just a few million dollars, court records show.

Gambling Addiction: Massive Fraud Bankruptcy

Refurbished-equipment maker described as 'massive fraud'

Equipment Acquisition Resources Inc., which filed for bankruptcy late last year, has been described by its bankruptcy liquidator as a massive fraud that went through as much as $175 million it borrowed from lenders.

In a series of lawsuits filed in a bankruptcy court in Illinois, William Brandt Jr., of the turnaround firm Development Specialists Inc., is seeking to recover almost $2.5 million he says was wrongly sent to Las Vegas casinos to cover gambling debts.

The lawsuits were filed in October against Wynn Las Vegas, the Rio, Harrah's and the Luxor. Among the four casinos sued, Wynn as of Tuesday was the only defendant to answer the complaint.

The lawsuits charge that Equipment Acquisition Resources of Palatine, Ill., wrongly sent checks to the casinos to cover gambling debts for company executives including Sheldon Player, his wife, Donna Malone, and Mark Anstett.

Those executives all left the company before or as Brandt took over, according to court records.

Equipment Acquisition Resources, a seller of refurbished semiconductor-making equipment, filed for bankruptcy Oct. 23, 2009, after it "engaged in a massive fraud be which it sold equipment at inflated prices and leased the equipment back from various lenders," the administrator's lawsuits claim.

In his lawsuit filed against Wynn Las Vegas LLC, Brandt charges that Equipment Acquisition Resources from October 2005 to October 2009 sent 21 checks to Wynn totaling $1.785 million so Player, Malone, Anstett or others could engage in gambling at one of more of the Wynn casinos.

"The debtor did not receive reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the transfers," lawsuit claims. Brandt also alleges that some of the payments were "fraudulent transfers" because EAR received less than "reasonably equivalent value for the transfers.

In a court filing last week, Wynn disputed the claim the $1.785 million should be repaid.

Lauren Nachinson, an attorney with Quarles & Brady LLP representing Wynn, argued the money paid to Wynn was not company property rather it was compensation paid to its executives.

As Equipment Acquisition Resources executives or board members "they were entitled to receive compensation and/or other remuneration from the debtor."

"The transfers were compensation for services rendered by Malone, Anstett and/or Player," the filing said. "Malone, Anstett and/or Player directed that their compensation be paid directly to (Wynn), instead of them. The transfers were not assets of (EAR), but rather were assets" of the three former executives.

Brandt claimed when the checks were approved the company either "was insolvent" or had "unreasonably small capital" or was incurring debt it would be unable to pay.

The lawsuits seek return of $1.785 million from Wynn, $471,000 from the Rio, $236,500 from the Luxor and $30,000 from Harrah's.

Terry Watanabe

Of TERRY WATANABE ---


LAS VEGAS, NV – A multimillionaire gambler is suing a casino over plying him with alcohol and drugs to keep him playing!

Terry Watanabe is the former owner of the Oriental Trading Company, an import/export business he sold in 2000. Since then he has touted himself as a professional philanthropist.

However, Watanabe’s penchant for gambling got the best of him, as he says he lost more than $100 million at Harrah’s, a Las Vegas casino!

But Watanabe is claiming the company coerced him into compulsive gambling. By 2006, Harrah offered to move him into their Caesars Palace, as well as 15 percent cash back on monthly table losses of $500,000 or greater, and $12,500 transportation reimbursement and a $3 million line of credit! He also claims that the casino promised to wait 60 days before cashing any markers he lost.

By the end of 2007, as his losses became unmanageable, Harrah’s not only increased his credit limit, but provided him with an unending supply of alcohol and pain killers.

Watanabe says he began gambling for multiple days in a row, “with little interruption of sleep…Harrah’s executives and employees knew or should have known…that Watanabe was rapidly running out of money.” He was often so inebriated and sleep deprived “that at times he became unconscious at his private gaming tables or slot machines.”

Watanabe is filing his lawsuit because Harrah’s is trying to claim $14.75 million he wrote in bad checks. It is unclear how much Watanabe is suing for, with charges including fraud, breach of contract, conspiracy and negligence, but considering Watanabe claims he bet more than $825 million in 2007 alone, it is likely to be significant.


Telegraph reports ---


Las Vegas gambler sues Caesars Palace claiming casino plied him with drugs

A Las Vegas gambler who lost $112 million (£67 million) in a year, is suing the owner of Caesars Palace, claiming casino staff "milked" him by plying him with alcohol and prescription drugs.


Terry Watanabe, 52, says he lived and gambled "non-stop" at Caesars Palace for six months in 2007, spending a fortune on roulette and slot machines.

After an epic losing streak, he ran up gambling debts of around $15 million (£9 million) and was subsequently charged with theft, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Watanabe is countering the criminal charges with a civil suit in which he accuses Harrah's, the owners of Caesars Palace, of fraud, breach of contract, conspiracy and negligence.

He claims company executives manipulated him with a "secret intention" of siphoning off his wealth.

Harrah's, the world's largest gambling company by revenue, is adamant there was no wrong-doing.

A spokesman said: "We have a long-standing history of responsible and ethical practices.

"We're licensed in more jurisdictions than any other gaming company. We stand by our record."

Mr Watanabe is a Nebraska-based philanthropist and the former owner of Oriental Trading Co, a huge direct marketing company for novelties and party items.

He has also filed a complaint with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and says he staked a total of more than $825 million (£495 million) in 2007 at Caesars Palace and the Rio casino, also owned by Harrah's The complaint says: "Mr Watanabe was an obvious gambling addict and Caesars and Harrah's senior management made a conscious decision to exploit his well-known addiction."

Mr Watanabe alleges that casino employees provided him with prescription painkillers that, combined with an endless flow of alcohol, "rendered him utterly intoxicated and unfit to gamble."

His Los Angeles-based lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, said the criminal prosecution against Mr Watanabe was "meritless."

He said: "Terry Watanabe is innocent of any crime and Harrah's owes him money."

Mr Watanabe was regarded as one of Las Vegas's "whales," a nickname for epic gamblers.

His lawyers claim his gambling at Caesars Palace and Rio accounted for around 20 per cent of revenue at both casinos in 2006 and 2007. He is currently on $1.5 million (£900,000) bail.