The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office announced felony charges against two men who cheated at poker tables to win more than $30,000 at Pala and Harrah’s casinos.
According to the DA’s press release, 52-year-old Vaagn Galustyan and 53-year-old Armin Martirosyan were arraigned on two counts of conspiracy to commit a crime on Tuesday, and they could face up to three years and eight months in prison if convicted on all charges.
The DA says the men and a third, unidentified person entered the Pala Casino separately, but took seats at the same table to play Mississippi Stud Poker. They were all caught multiple times on the casino’s surveillance cameras bending corners of face cards, aces and 10s, the release states.
By identifying the high-value cards, players could gain insight into the type of hand the dealer might have, which would influence their betting strategy in future rounds of the game.
The DA says after the men played for several hours, the table was shut down and the defendants left the casino without cashing in their chips. They both returned about five hours later, in the early morning hours, in different outfits.
Galustyan and Martirosyan partially cashed in their winnings at separate cashiers, and the loss for Pala Casino was $19,250, according to the DA.
The defendants pulled the same scheme at another Mississippi Stud Poker table in Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center a week later, the release states.
“This method of cheating at cards goes back hundreds of years but with modern technology, the practice can be detected and those who would scam local casinos can be brought to justice,” said DA Summer Stephan. “I’m proud of my office’s relationships with tribal governments and the cooperation we continue to have with them to successfully prosecute a variety of crimes that occur on tribal lands.”
The DA’s East County branch handles cases involving crimes committed on the Native American reservations or casinos. The DA says its relationship with the tribes, tribal councils, tribal law enforcement and the Sheriff’s Department ensures better public safety on the reservations and in casinos.
The DA says casinos actively look for card markings with surveillance cameras, table inspections and frequent deck changes. Additionally, the dealers are trained to spot bent corners, unusual handling by players or other signs of tampering.
Many casinos also use plastic-coated cards and change cards out every 30 minutes or so to deter against this tactic, the DA pointed out.
