Twentieth Member of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to Racketeering...

Twentieth Member of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to
Racketeering Conspiracy Targeting Casinos in the United States and Canada

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Phat Ngoc Tran, 35, pleaded
guilty today in San Diego to conspiring to participate in a racketeering
enterprise, the "Tran Organization," in a scheme to cheat at least 12 casinos
across the United States and Canada out of millions of dollars, Acting
Assistant Attorney General Rita M. Glavin of the Criminal Division and U.S.
Attorney Karen P. Hewitt for the Southern District of California announced
today. Tran admitted that he and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtained up to
$2.5 million during card cheats.

A three-count indictment was returned May 22, 2007, and unsealed in the
Southern District of California on May 24, 2007, charging Tran and 13 others
each with one count of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a
racketeering enterprise; one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses
against the United States, including conspiracy to steal money and other
property from Indian tribal casinos; and one count of conspiracy to commit
money laundering. The indictment also charged five separate individuals each
with one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses against the United
States, including conspiracy to steal money and other property from Indian
tribal casinos; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In his plea agreement, Tran admitted that on numerous occasions between
approximately October 2002 and July 2006, he participated in gambling cheats
together with other alleged members of the Tran Organization at casinos in the
United States and Canada. Tran admitted to targeting at least 12 casinos in
the racketeering conspiracy, including:

-- Beau Rivage Casino, in Biloxi, Miss.;
-- Casino Rama, in Orillia, Ontario, Canada;
-- Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn.;
-- Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Miss.;
-- Horseshoe Casino, in Bossier City, La.;
-- Horseshoe Casino and Hotel, in Tunica, Miss.;
-- Isle of Capri Casino, in Westlake, La.;
-- Majestic Star Casino, in Gary, Ind.;
-- Mohegan Sun Resort Casino, in Uncasville, Conn.;
-- Palace Station Casino, in Las Vegas, Nev.;
-- Resorts East Chicago Hotel and Casino, in East Chicago, Ind.; and
-- Sycuan Casino, in El Cajon, Calif.

According to the indictment, the defendants and others executed a "false
shuffle" cheating scheme at casinos in the United States and Canada during
blackjack and mini-baccarat games. The indictment alleges that members of the
criminal organization bribed casino card dealers and supervisors to perform
false shuffles during card games, thereby creating "slugs" or groups, of
un-shuffled cards. The indictment also alleges that after tracking the order
of cards dealt in a card game, a member of the organization would signal to
the card dealer to perform a "false shuffle," and members of the group would
then bet on the known order of cards when the slug appeared on the table. By
doing so, members of the conspiracy repeatedly won thousands of dollars during
card games, including winning up to $868,000 on one occasion.

The indictment also alleges that the members of the organization used
sophisticated mechanisms for tracking the order of cards during games,
including hidden transmitter devices and specially created software that would
predict the order in which cards would reappear during mini-baccarat and
blackjack games.

An indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A
defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's
burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Tran's sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2009, in San Diego before U.S.
District Judge John A. Houston. At sentencing, Tran faces a maximum sentence
of 20 years in prison on the racketeering conspiracy charge. Tran agreed to a
personal money judgment in the amount of $180,000, which will be entered by
way of a preliminary order of forfeiture. He also acknowledged that the
restitution that he may be ordered to pay by the court at sentencing is not
limited by the forfeiture amount. Tran was also charged in Orillia, Ontario,
Canada, for his admitted cheating activities at Casino Rama.

A second indictment has alleged that 11 additional defendants conspired to
commit offenses on behalf of the Tran Organization. A one-count indictment,
unsealed in the Southern District of California on Sept. 11, 2008, charged
Bryan Arce; Don Man Duong; Hogan Ho; Thang Viet Huynh; Outtama Keovongsa; Leap
Kong, a/k/a Lanida Kong; Qua Le; Khunsela Prom, a/k/a Danny Prom; James Root;
Darrell Saicocie; and Dan Thich each with one count of conspiracy to commit
several offenses against the United States, including conspiracy to steal
money and other property from Indian tribal casinos, and conspiracy to travel
in interstate and foreign commerce in aid of racketeering.

To date, 20 defendants, including Tran, have pleaded guilty to charges
relating to the casino-cheating conspiracy: Phuong Quoc Truong; Anh Phuong
Tran; Martin Lee Aronson; Liem Thanh Lam; George Michael Lee; Tien Duc Vu; Son
Hong Johnson; Barry Wellford; Willy Tran; Tuan Mong Le; Duc Cong Nguyen; Han
Truong Nguyen; Roderick Vang Thor; Sisouvanh Mounlasy; Navin Nith; Renee Cuc
Quang; Ui Suk Weller; Phally Ly; and Khunsela Prom. These defendants admitted
to targeting, with the aid of coconspirators, a combined total of
approximately 24 casinos during the course of the conspiracy.

The case is being investigated by the FBI's San Diego Field Office; the
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; the San Diego Sheriff's
Department; and the California Department of Justice's Bureau of Gambling
Control. The investigation has received assistance from federal, state,
tribal and foreign authorities, including: the Ontario Provincial Police; the
National Indian Gaming Commission; the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western
District of Washington; FBI Resident Agencies in Gulfport, Miss., Tacoma,
Wash., and Toledo, Ohio; the Indiana State Police; the Rumsey Rancheria Tribal
Gaming Agency; the Sycuan Gaming Commission; the Barona Gaming Commission; the
Mississippi Gaming Commission; and the Washington State Gambling Commission.

The prosecution of the case is led by the Criminal Division's Organized Crime
and Racketeering Section (OCRS). Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Joseph
K. Wheatley, Robert S. Tully and Gavin A. Corn are prosecuting the indictment
in San Diego.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, +1-202-514-2007, TDD:
+1-202-514-1888