The players were caught using a device to cheat at the tables and received probation
Two men involved in a card-marking scheme at a Pittsburgh casino have avoided jail time, receiving only probation for their actions. Serdar Ozmen and Bahri Sahpolat, residents of Maryland and California, respectively, were caught using a cheating device while playing Mississippi Stud Poker at Live! Casino Pittsburgh. The duo managed to win over $12,000 before being apprehended.
Casino security staff noticed unusual behavior on surveillance footage and quickly intervened, seizing the players’ chips. Law enforcement later arrested the men on multiple charges, including using a cheating device, criminal trespassing, theft, and receiving stolen property. Despite the serious nature of these allegations, Ozmen and Sahpolat were released with a two-year probation sentence instead of jail time.
Both men had been held in custody since their arrest and did not plead guilty to any of the charges. In addition to the probation period, they are permanently banned from returning to the casino. As first-time offenders, they are eligible to complete an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program, which would dismiss the criminal trespassing charge from their records upon successful completion.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh spokesperson Tom Meinert praised the casino’s security team for their quick response. He highlighted that the cheating attempt was detected through “sophisticated security measures,” prompting the casino to notify the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the Pennsylvania State Police immediately.
The case serves as a reminder of the high-tech surveillance and stringent security measures in place at casinos to prevent such scams. While Ozmen and Sahpolat managed to evade a harsher punishment, the incident underscores the risks associated with attempting to cheat in a highly regulated environment like a casino.
