http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_646772.html
State police Tuesday arrested three men — including a former Swissvale police officer — in connection with a heist that Washington County District Attorney Steven Toprani called "one of the single largest casino machine thefts in American history."
Andre Nestor, 37, and Kerry Laverde, 49, both of Swissvale, and Patrick Loushil, 42, of Brookline are charged with manipulating a poker machine at Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane to collect $429,945 in fraudulent payouts, authorities said.
"This is the first crime of this nature and magnitude since gaming began in Pennsylvania in 2006," said Capt. Tim Allue, director of the Gaming Enforcement Office for the state police, during a news conference at the casino. "This casino was a victim."
While the "sophisticated scheme" is new to Pennsylvania, authorities in Nevada arrested a Las Vegas man in July for operating a similar plan, Toprani said.
Sean Sullivan, Meadows vice president and general manager, said the slots' computer software has been corrected at all 3,750 machines at the casino.
The men were expected to be lodged in the county jail last night on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, unlawful use of a computer and conspiracy. The charges came from a county grand jury investigation.
Casino officials first suspected the men when Nestor, posing as a "high roller," began frequenting the casino in late June, Toprani said.
Laverde, the former Swissvale police officer, acted as Nestor's bodyguard, Toprani said. He wore a police badge pinned to his suit and "on one occasion gestured as if he was carrying a concealed weapon" to protect Nestor, according to a presentment from the grand jury outlining the case.
On June 22, Nestor asked a casino worker to activate a draw poker slot machine's "double up" feature, showing a technician how to do it, the presentment states.
A supervisor told Nestor the casino could not activate the feature without the state Gaming Control Board's permission. The technician disabled the double up feature but forgot to save the changes, the presentment states.
During the next two months, Nestor, Laverde and Loushil visited the casino 15 times, authorities said.
The investigation showed Nestor repeatedly used "a complex series of button presses and screen changes to cause the slot machine to have an error in its programming. This resulted in the machine displaying a false jackpot," according to the presentment.
The largest payout was $40,550 on July 22, the presentment states. On seven other occasions, the men hit jackpots of more than $20,000, including four times on Aug. 26.
"They essentially found a money tree," Toprani said.
Nestor always manipulated the poker machine alone, but all three men cashed out the winning checks, authorities said.
On Nestor's last visit Aug. 31, state police troopers watched Nestor hit a fraudulent jackpot of $2,350, the presentment states.
When he tried to cash out, casino staff said they needed to verify the internal controls on the machine. Nestor "stated he needed to make a phone call and (was) observed leaving the casino in haste," the presentment states.
The men were arrested "without incident" yesterday, Toprani said.
Laverde worked in law enforcement in the 1980s and '90s, and recently lived in Las Vegas, Toprani said.
Swissvale police and borough officials did not return calls seeking comment.
A woman at Loushil's home who identified herself as a relative said, "He's innocent. No comment."
The draw poker machine was removed from the casino floor and is being kept for evidence, Toprani said.
The men played slots at Presque Isle Downs in Erie and at Rivers Casino in the North Shore, Toprani said. Investigators found no evidence of theft at those casinos. State authorities are working with West Virginia investigators to determine whether any thefts occurred over state lines, Toprani said.
The grand jury is still investigating whether anyone else was involved.
"The message is clear," Sullivan said. "Commit a crime at a Pennsylvania casino, and you will be held accountable and caught."
State police Tuesday arrested three men — including a former Swissvale police officer — in connection with a heist that Washington County District Attorney Steven Toprani called "one of the single largest casino machine thefts in American history."
Andre Nestor, 37, and Kerry Laverde, 49, both of Swissvale, and Patrick Loushil, 42, of Brookline are charged with manipulating a poker machine at Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane to collect $429,945 in fraudulent payouts, authorities said.
"This is the first crime of this nature and magnitude since gaming began in Pennsylvania in 2006," said Capt. Tim Allue, director of the Gaming Enforcement Office for the state police, during a news conference at the casino. "This casino was a victim."
While the "sophisticated scheme" is new to Pennsylvania, authorities in Nevada arrested a Las Vegas man in July for operating a similar plan, Toprani said.
Sean Sullivan, Meadows vice president and general manager, said the slots' computer software has been corrected at all 3,750 machines at the casino.
The men were expected to be lodged in the county jail last night on charges of theft, receiving stolen property, unlawful use of a computer and conspiracy. The charges came from a county grand jury investigation.
Casino officials first suspected the men when Nestor, posing as a "high roller," began frequenting the casino in late June, Toprani said.
Laverde, the former Swissvale police officer, acted as Nestor's bodyguard, Toprani said. He wore a police badge pinned to his suit and "on one occasion gestured as if he was carrying a concealed weapon" to protect Nestor, according to a presentment from the grand jury outlining the case.
On June 22, Nestor asked a casino worker to activate a draw poker slot machine's "double up" feature, showing a technician how to do it, the presentment states.
A supervisor told Nestor the casino could not activate the feature without the state Gaming Control Board's permission. The technician disabled the double up feature but forgot to save the changes, the presentment states.
During the next two months, Nestor, Laverde and Loushil visited the casino 15 times, authorities said.
The investigation showed Nestor repeatedly used "a complex series of button presses and screen changes to cause the slot machine to have an error in its programming. This resulted in the machine displaying a false jackpot," according to the presentment.
The largest payout was $40,550 on July 22, the presentment states. On seven other occasions, the men hit jackpots of more than $20,000, including four times on Aug. 26.
"They essentially found a money tree," Toprani said.
Nestor always manipulated the poker machine alone, but all three men cashed out the winning checks, authorities said.
On Nestor's last visit Aug. 31, state police troopers watched Nestor hit a fraudulent jackpot of $2,350, the presentment states.
When he tried to cash out, casino staff said they needed to verify the internal controls on the machine. Nestor "stated he needed to make a phone call and (was) observed leaving the casino in haste," the presentment states.
The men were arrested "without incident" yesterday, Toprani said.
Laverde worked in law enforcement in the 1980s and '90s, and recently lived in Las Vegas, Toprani said.
Swissvale police and borough officials did not return calls seeking comment.
A woman at Loushil's home who identified herself as a relative said, "He's innocent. No comment."
The draw poker machine was removed from the casino floor and is being kept for evidence, Toprani said.
The men played slots at Presque Isle Downs in Erie and at Rivers Casino in the North Shore, Toprani said. Investigators found no evidence of theft at those casinos. State authorities are working with West Virginia investigators to determine whether any thefts occurred over state lines, Toprani said.
The grand jury is still investigating whether anyone else was involved.
"The message is clear," Sullivan said. "Commit a crime at a Pennsylvania casino, and you will be held accountable and caught."
