Casino Crime Roundup: Theft of $1.5K in Players’ Club Credits at Iowa Casino

Posted on: June 23, 2023, 07:30h. 

Last updated on: June 23, 2023, 09:47h.

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

A one-time employee at Iowa’s Diamond Jo Casino was arrested Thursday for allegedly putting illicit credits on new players’ club cards and distributing the cards to friends, police said.

Diamond Jo Casino
Diamond Jo Casino, pictured above. An employee was arrested at the Iowa gaming property for allegedly altering players’ club cards. (Image: TripAdvisor)

Krysten L. Davis, 22, of Dubuque, Iowa, was charged with second-degree theft after casino security and local police uncovered the scheme. It led to a loss of more than $1,500 for Diamond Jo Casino and involved more than two dozen accounts, police said.

When Davis spoke to authorities, she admitted she placed unauthorized credits “on random player accounts throughout the month of January and printed out new cards with altered security pin numbers,” according to Iowa’s Telegraph Herald news organization.

The credits on the illicit cards allowed them to play for free at the gaming property. Among those who got the new cards was her boyfriend, police said.

Davis worked at the casino as a customer service representative between January 10 and February 3. One of her primary responsibilities was working with VIP patrons on their players’ club accounts.

Craps Cheating Uncovered at Mississippi Casino

A former employee at Mississippi’s Riverwalk Casino Hotel recently was indicted for cheating at gambling.

Valinda Jackson, who was an electronic craps dealer, allegedly altered the numbers rolled during a March 18 game.

Jackson manually entered other numbers, authorities said. Her actions led to lost revenue for the casino, according to a recent report from the Vicksburg Daily News.

New Charges in Washington State Casino Murder

The man accused of fatally shooting a player in a Seattle gaming property and wounding two others recently was charged with several new counts.

Omar Upham Jr., 21, of Renton, Wash., is now facing charges of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Washington State’s Renton Reporter.

On May 27, Upham entered Roxy’s Casino planning to shoot an unnamed casino security guard, police said. Four years ago, the guard informed authorities about Upham in connection to a robbery and he wanted revenge, police said.

When the security guard saw Upham pulling a gun from his pocket, the guard jumped up from a podium and ran through the casino floor. He was heading for a rear exit.

Upham began shooting without uttering a word. The guard was shot twice in the back.

Another victim, Hung Quoc Nguyen, 22, who was a patron, was seated at a card table. He was shot in the head and later died.

A female casino employee identified simply as “CJ” in social media was shot once in the stomach during the incident.

All three victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Upham fled from the casino and was later apprehended. As of earlier this month, he was being held without bail in a local jail.

Victim’s Injuries

It was revealed earlier this month that CJ suffered wounds to her kidney, liver, and gallbladder, according to a GoFundMe site. She underwent emergency surgery and at one point was placed on a ventilator.

Since then, she was discharged from the hospital.

She is now at home and recovering,” the GoFundMe site recently revealed. “She is getting better each day.”

But she does not have her “full strength yet and [is] unable to talk much. She also doesn’t have much of an appetite to eat a full meal.”

The online fundraiser has raised $12,600 of the $50K goal.