Four Members of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced for Targeting Casinos...

Four Members of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Sentenced for Targeting
Casinos in the United States and Canada

WASHINGTON, July 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- George Michael Lee, Duc Cong
Nguyen, Hop Nguyen and Tien Duc Vu were sentenced today in San Diego for their
roles in a scheme by the "Tran Organization" to cheat casinos across the
United States and Canada, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the
Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Karen P. Hewitt for the Southern District
of California announced. Duc Cong Nguyen and Vu admitted that they and their
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 Lee, Vu and 12
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,
including Duc Cong Nguyen, 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.

Lee was sentenced to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release
by District Judge John A. Houston in San Diego. The court also ordered
forfeiture in the amount of $731,645; and ordered restitution in the amount of
$2,208,019, payable to several casinos. Lee pleaded guilty on Dec. 13, 2007,
to conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise. Lee
was also sentenced on two separate indictments to which he pleaded guilty
after agreeing to transfer the charges to San Diego from the Western District
of Washington. The two indictments related to card-cheating activity at
Emerald Queen Casino and Nooksack River Casino, which are Indian gaming
establishments in Washington state.

Duc Cong Nguyen was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three
years of supervised release by Judge Houston. The court also ordered
restitution in the amount of $945,055, payable to several casinos. Duc Cong
Nguyen pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2007, to conspiracy to commit several
offenses against the United States, including conspiracy to steal money and
other property from Indian tribal casinos.

Vu was sentenced by Judge Houston to one year and one day in prison and three
years of supervised release. The court also ordered forfeiture in the amount
of $53,500; and ordered restitution in the amount of $2,164,632, payable to
several casinos. Vu pleaded guilty on Aug. 8, 2008, to conspiracy to
participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise. Vu was also
sentenced on a separate indictment to which he pleaded guilty after agreeing
to transfer the charges to San Diego from the Western District of Washington.
The transferred indictment related to card-cheating activity at Nooksack River
Casino, which is an Indian gaming establishment in Washington state.

Hop Nguyen, who waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Jan. 27, 2009, to
filing a false income tax return, was sentenced to one year of supervised
release by District Judge William Q. Hayes in San Diego. The court also
ordered restitution in the amount of $131,238, payable to several casinos.
Hop Nguyen's plea agreement contained admissions of casino-cheating activities
on behalf of the Tran Organization at casinos in the United States and Canada.

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, aka Lanida Kong; Qua Le; Khunsela Prom, aka 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.

According to the two indictments, 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 indictments allege 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
unshuffled cards. The indictments also allege 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 several hundred thousand dollars on one
occasion.

The indictments also allege 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 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.

To date, 29 defendants have pleaded guilty to charges relating to the
casino-cheating conspiracy, including: Phuong Quoc Truong; Tai Khiem Tran; Anh
Phuong Tran; Phat Ngoc Tran; Martin Lee Aronson; Liem Thanh Lam; George
Michael Lee; Tien Duc Vu; Son Hong Johnson; Barry Wellford; John Tran; 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;
Khunsela Prom; Hop Nguyen; Hogan Ho; Darrell Saicocie; Bryan Arce; Qua Le;
Outtama Keovongsa; and Leap Kong. These defendants admitted to targeting,
with the aid of co-conspirators, a combined total of approximately 25 casinos
during the course of the conspiracy, including:

1. Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Miss.;
2. Casino Rama, in Orillia Ontario, Canada;
3. Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn.;
4. Gold Strike Casino in Tunica, Miss.;
5. Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, La.;
6. Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Miss.;
7. Isle of Capri Casino in Westlake, La.;
8. Majestic Star Casino in Gary, Ind.;
9. Mohegan Sun Resort Casino in Uncasville, Conn.;
10. Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas;
11. Resorts East Chicago Hotel and Casino in East Chicago, Ind.;
12. Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, Calif.
13. Cache Creek Indian Bingo and Casino in Brooks, Calif.;
14. Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Wash.;
15. Imperial Palace Casino in Biloxi;
16. Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge, La.;
17. Trump 29 Casino in Coachella, Calif.;
18. Isle of Capri Casino in Bossier City;
19. Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, Calif.;
20. Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, Calif.;
21. Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, Calif.;
22. L'Auberge du Lac Casino in Lake Charles, La.;
23. Nooksack River Casino in Deming, Wash.;
24. Barona Valley Ranch Casino and Resort in Lakeside, Calif.; and

25. Caesars Indiana Hotel and Casino in Elizabeth, Ind.

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, 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 case in San
Diego.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

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