$7 Million Casino Scam Mastermind Jailed for 7 Years
March 16, 2010 1:27 pmPhuong Quoc Truong has just been sentenced to 70 months behind bars after admitting to being the head of the “Tran Organisation,” which since 2002 was able to cheat 27 casinos across the United States out of almost $7 million.
The gang of at least 37 members was able to carry out their elaborate deception by bribing casino card dealers and supervisors into performing “false shuffles” which would leave groups of unshuffled cards or “slugs”. The gang would be familiar with the order of these slugs and so would then be able to bet accordingly during blackjack and baccarat games.
Through this method, as well as the use of hidden software and transmitters, the “Tran Organisation” was able to net up to a $100,000 a night, although in October 2005 the gang managed to cheat the Resorts East Chicago hotel and casino out of a staggering $868,000 in just 90 minutes.
The target of the “Tran Organisation” criminal enterprise was primarily 27 Indian tribal casinos spread out across Mississippi, Connecticut, Louisiana, Indiana, Nevada, California, Washington State, and Ontario, Canada.
Phuong Quoc Truong pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy back in April 2008, and yesterday, as part of a plea bargain, agreed to return $5.7 million to the casinos, and pay $2.8 million in fines as well as forfeit two homes, property in Vietnam, a 2001 Porsche Carrera, a Rolex watch and jewelry.
In the meantime, thirty-seven defendants have also been charged with casino cheating conspiracy, while other “Tran Organisation” members have to wait for the outcome of investigations by the FBI, IRS and Californian DOJ Bureau of Gambling Control, before they learn their fate.