Casino Crime Roundup: Man Falls to Death at Baton Rouge Casino Site

Posted on: May 3, 2024, 06:03h. 

Last updated on: May 3, 2024, 08:41h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A person suffered fatal injuries Thursday after apparently falling from a roof at the new site of Louisiana’s Belle of Baton Rouge Casino.

The casino building was under construction when the incident took place, according to Baton Rouge TV station WBRZ. The casino is to be relocated from the riverfront to dry land.

Initial reports didn’t reveal why the person fell. Nor did it identify the victim.

In February, two workers were injured at the same casino site. One suffered fractures and the other had shoulder and elbow pain, according to Baton Rouge TV station WVLA. The mishap was due to the breaking of a cable connected to a ramp. Lights, ceiling fans, and glass doors fell to the floor in the earlier mishap.

Sex Trafficking Leads to Arrests

Three suspects were apprehended last month after police uncovered a human trafficking operation at the Golden Moon Hotel and Casino in Mississippi.

One person was described as a trafficking victim, according to Mississippi TV station WJTV. Her age wasn’t immediately available.

One of the arrested suspects was charged with a child pornography violation, and could be charged with sex assault of a minor, the report said. A suspect also was arrested for possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

Police found two guns, a gram of methamphetamine (meth), three grams of cocaine, 31 grams of crack cocaine, 10 grams of marijuana, and two cell phones, during a search.

The operation was broken up by authorities between April 12 and 13.

The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, which operates the casino, said in a recent statement, that the arrests took place “without incidents” and noted how the seized firearms and arrests “will have an impact on the communities.”

The gaming property is located near Philadelphia, Miss.

Alleged Scheme on Casino Winnings

A man who owed back child support was arrested recently after he allegedly got someone else to collect his winnings at an Indiana casino.

Lance Halderman, 44, of Michigan City, Ind., was charged with cheating at gaming, according to Hometown News Now.

The incident took place on March 22, when Halderman was playing a slot machine at Blue Chip Casino. It paid out about $2K.

He allegedly asked another person to collect the money and then hand it over to him. Halderman would then pay the other person $100.

If convicted, Halderman could be sentenced to as much as 30 months in custody.

The man who collected the money wasn’t charged.

Blue Chip Casino is a riverboat casino in Michigan City owned by Boyd Gaming.