Casino Crime Roundup: Armed Suspect Shot by Deputies Near Tachi Palace Casino

Posted on: March 14, 2023, 11:50h. 

Last updated on: March 15, 2023, 02:12h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A suspect was shot Saturday night during an exchange of gunfire with local deputies near Lemoore, Calif.’s Tachi Palace Casino Resort.

Tachi Palace Casino Resort
The Tachi Palace Casino Resort. pictured above. An armed man was shot near the casino by deputies. (Image: TripAdvisor)

The suspect, Timothy Jeff Jr., 37, of Lemoore, was in critical but stable condition at Fresno, Calif.’s Community Regional Medical Center over the weekend, the Fresno Bee newspaper reported.

The confrontation began when Jeff was holding a handgun while in an apparent dispute with a motorist in a casino parking lot, according to the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.

After a deputy arrived in the lot, Jeff ran to the intersection of 17th and Jersey avenues, where he allegedly shot the deputy. Jeff then tried to hide behind a car. Two more deputies arrived at the standoff and repeatedly shot Jeff.

When Jeff was apprehended, deputies seized his .32-caliber H&R Magnum handgun. No deputies were injured.

Deputies are likely to charge Jeff with attempted murder, being a convicted felon in possession of a gun, and other charges, the Bee reported.

The casino is a Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe property. It’s 38 miles south of Fresno, Calif.

405 Fentanyl Pills, Meth Found at Montana Casino

A Montana woman was arrested Friday after police found 405 fentanyl pills and other suspected drugs in her parked car at Magic Diamond Casino in Belgrade, Mont.

Shelby Tripp of Billings fell asleep in the vehicle. A casino employee alerted the Belgrade Police Department, and a local parole office approved an officer to search the car.

The officer found the suspected drugs in her vehicle, and her purse contained many empty plastic jeweler bags that could be used to store narcotics. There was also aluminum foil with suspected fentanyl residue, and tubes with suspected drug residue in the vehicle, police said.

Also in the car were the 405 suspected fentanyl pills, 9.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine (meth), and $1,586 in cash, police said.

Tripp was charged with criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, according to Montana TV station KZBK. She was on probation for a prior charge from Billings, police said.

Seattle Cops Warn Casino Visitors After Robberies

Several recent armed robberies linked to Seattle casinos have led police to issue a warning to gaming property visitors. Seattle TV station KIRO said the Seattle Police Department advised casino visitors they could be targeted when leaving gaming properties. One risk is that casino winners could be followed home and robbed.

In October, an 81-year-old Renton woman was followed to her residence after leaving the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn. She was assaulted, and over $1,000 was stolen during the holdup.

Two weeks earlier, also in Renton, a 59-year-old woman was assaulted at her residence after returning from the Macau Casino in Tukwila.

It is something that we want the community to be aware of and we want our public safety concerns to be addressed,” Seattle Police Department Public Information Officer Judinna Gulpan told KIRO.

Gulpan advised residents to be aware of their surroundings, to avoid holding a cell phone in their hand, and to keep their heads up to avoid distractions. She added that patrons should call 911 from a safe location if they see something suspicious.