Hustler With "Guaranteed Gambling System" Back Behind Bars

A Las Vegas con man wanted on a $500,000 warrant is back behind bars after being nabbed by police while at the Hard Rock Casino. Mark Georgantas, 53, stands accused of theft and securities-fraud charges dating back between July 2013 and March 2014, when he apparently conned two victims out of a combined $350,000 after persuading them he had a guaranteed system that would beat most types of casino games, including roulette, blackjack, craps, and baccarat.
Commenting on the case, Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt said: “My office is committed to ensuring that Nevadans are protected from unscrupulous investment schemes. I encourage Nevadans to be skeptical of investment offers that claim to guarantee profits, and to report any suspicious activity to my Office.”
Mark Georgantas had the warrant on him for three months before police finally caught up with him, and he is now due to appear before the Eighth Judicial District Court on April 4th. Now that he has been apprehended, all authorities need do now is ensure he remains locked-up, which is easier said than done.
In 2003, the alleged con man was serving a one-year sentence at a minimum-security jail called the James A. Musick Facility when together with a fellow inmate he escaped through the building’s storm drain. Georgantas even used his charms to persuade a female friend to pick him up, although he was arrested in her car a few hours later.
Then, in 2009, Georgantas was nearing the end of a fresh fraud trial at the Santa Ana courthouse when he persuaded a bailiff to let him use the restroom. He then used the opportunity to escape, and was subsequently convicted in his absence. Georgantas was arrested around one week later, and on January 29th, 2010, was sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars, but was released several more months later due to time served.
The latest incident involving Georgantas took place between July 2013 and March 2014, and Georgantas seems adamant that he has done nothing wrong. As he explained recently:
“Based on the damage this has done to me personally and the severity of the consequences I am being very thorough in preparing a solid response upfront to the AG in advance of this case moving forward.”