Areas of Expertise
2451 stories by Ed Silverstein
Batavia Downs Casino Attack Leads to Deputy’s Death
Genesee County Sheriff Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello was killed in the line of duty early Sunday at New York State’s Batavia Downs Gaming casino after a violent fight there. At about 12:45 a.m., Sanfratello, 54, who was working an extra-duty job at the...
Casino Crime Round Up: Kansas’ Hollywood Casino to Reopen After Bomb Threat
Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway was evacuated for several hours on Friday night after a bomb threat was phoned in to local police. The Kansas City, Kansas gaming property was scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. (CT) Saturday. The casino initially was...
Platinum Hotel Teen Murderer Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison
The teenager who fatally shot another teen during a birthday party last year at Las Vegas’ Platinum Hotel and Spa was sentenced Thursday to at least eight years behind bars. Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Sincere Smith to between...
Fontainebleau Las Vegas Sees Theft of $300K Worth of Copper, Other Metal
A person was arrested last week for swiping about $300K worth of copper and other metals from the recently opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas. In total, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers said Alejandro Dejesus stole approximately 2,500 pounds of copper piping...
Ex-Iowa Casino Dealer Fined, Must Make $11K Restitution for Repeated Cheating
A former card dealer at Iowa’s Catfish Bend Casino will avoid prison if he completes his five-year probation for a cheating scheme involving seven players, under a recent sentence. Trevor McCannon, 22, of Burlington, Iowa must pay a $1,025 fine and reimburse...
Resorts World Murder Suspect Out on Bail For Deadly Fight at Las Vegas Hotel
Daniel Rodimer, a former congressional candidate and professional wrestler who's accused in the 2023 murder of a guest at Resorts World Las Vegas, surrendered to authorities on Wednesday. Rodimer, 45, surrendered at the Clark County Detention Center at about 6 p.m. Wednesday....
Michigan Casino Telephone Scam Suspect Arrested, Allegedly Collected $700K
An illegal migrant was arrested this week for allegedly taking part in a scheme where $700K was stolen from Michigan’s Four Winds Hartford Casino. Jesus Gaytan-Garcia, 43, now of Chicago, was charged for the July 30 theft, which took place after a...
Resorts World Murder Suspect is Ex-Las Vegas Congressional Candidate, Wrestler
One-time wrestler and politician Daniel Rodimer was identified this week as a suspect in the death of Christopher Tapp in a violent incident at a Las Vegas Strip hotel. At first, the death was believed to have been from an accidental fall...
Indiana Casino Robber Allegedly Kidnapped One Worker, Threatened Another
The armed bandit who stole an unspecified amount of cash from Indiana’s Hollywood Casino allegedly took one employee hostage and planned to shoot another, according to new details on Saturday’s heist. The masked suspect, identified as Daniel Birdseye, 39, followed a worker...
Jackpot Roundup: Caesars Palace Visitor Hits Two Wins Totaling $710K
The same lucky visitor at Caesars Palace Las Vegas won two payouts on slots within five hours of each other on Saturday. The mystery player won $165K at about 5 p.m. Approximately five hours later, the same person hit a $545K payout....