Two New York City Men Indicted for Tropicana Atlantic City Stabbings

Posted on: May 25, 2021, 09:17h. 

Last updated on: May 25, 2021, 10:43h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

Two New York City men have been indicted by a New Jersey grand jury. They allegedly stabbed two males during a mass brawl at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City in July 2020.

Tropicana stabbing
Security footage shows the mass brawl that erupted at the Tropicana last July, resulting in three stabbings. Two men have been indicted by a grand jury for the fight. (Image: NJSP)

Jabari Cummings, 31, of Brooklyn, and Delroy McNeil, 33, of Queens, have each been charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Cummings is also charged with cocaine possession and tampering with physical evidence.

Both victims survived the attacks.

“The Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau works closely with the State Police to investigate and prosecute crimes committed at the Atlantic City casinos, whether they are financial crimes such as identity theft or money laundering, or violent crimes of the type alleged here,” said Director Veronica Allende of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice in a statement.

Serious Injuries

According to prosecutors, what began as a verbal dispute between individuals in a restroom quickly escalated into a large fight between two groups — one from New York, and the other from New Jersey — that spilled onto the casino floor.

Police were called to the scene just before 3 am on July 20. They found one victim with a stab wound to the chest and a wound to the abdomen. He had allegedly been attacked by McNeil. The other victim, allegedly attacked by Cummings, suffered a wound to the left side of the chest that lacerated his lung.

McNeil was also knifed and made his way to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. When police investigators arrived at the hospital to investigate the stabbings, they learned a vehicle connected to the fight was parked outside.

Drugs, Knives Hidden

Inside, they found several members of the New York group, including Cummings, who allegedly threw two knives and 14 vials of cocaine under the vehicle, leading to the narcotics and tampering charges.

“When violence erupts in crowded locations, the ensuing chaos can make it difficult for investigators to piece together the sequence of events. But the State Police detectives who investigated both assaults used a variety of investigative techniques to not only make sense of the chaos but to swiftly apprehend the accused,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.