The eyes in the sky and a poker player’s attention to detail led to a poker dealer at JACK Cleveland Casino being fired and indicted for allegedly stealing chips out of cash game pots.
Jason Saliba, a 51-year-old Ohio resident, was indicted on 14 casino gaming law violations, a fifth degree felony. He also faces a misdemeanor theft charge.
Saliba was indicted Oct. 28 and paid a $2,500 bond. A pretrial status conference has been set for 9 a.m. on Dec. 3 in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in Cleveland.
Allegations Against Poker Dealer
JACK Cleveland is one of the top poker rooms in the area and has played host to major events such as the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT). Saliba was a dealer at the card room before a poker player noticed he was allegedly doing something illegal.
One player in a Sept. 6 game Saliba was dealing claims to have noticed the dealer stealing chips out of a pot. The patron then alerted poker room staff of this discovery. Casino staff reviewed surveillance footage which allegedly confirmed the player’s accusations. The Ohio Casino Control Commission was then alerted and opened an investigation.
Staff watched additional surveillance footage and discovered five other instances where the poker dealer had apparently stolen chips from cash games. Investigators now say Saliba stole chips 14 times — hence, the 14 charges — over a one-month period. But the amount of the theft is alleged to have been less than $1,000.
Ohio law states that a theft is classified as a misdemeanor if the amount stolen is under $1,000 and a felony if $1,000 or above. Saliba, who resides in a western Cleveland suburb, could face up to 12 months in jail for the felony charge and up to 180 days in jail for the misdemeanor charge, if convicted. He was immediately fired from JACK Cleveland after staff viewed surveillance videos.
PokerNews will continue monitoring the case as the investigation unfolds.
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