GRANTVILLE, Pa. — A blackjack dealer at Penn National Hollywood Casino has been accused of participating in an alleged cheating scheme involving two players that cost the casino nearly $17,000, State Police claim in charging documents.
Yadav Bhandari, 22, is charged with felony counts of theft by deception and criminal conspiracy and misdemeanor counts of knowingly by trick/fraud/manipulation win or reduce a loss and unlawfully taking/claiming/manipulating with intent to defraud/cheat.
The two players allegedly involved in the scheme, Shankar Karki, 37, and Prakash Thapa, 24, are facing similar charges, according to State Police.
The trio is accused of working together to steal $16,555 in fraudulent winnings, which were paid out to Karki and Thapa while they were playing at a blackjack table where Bhandari was dealing on July 13, State Police said.
They allegedly used multiple tactics, including sleight-of-hand maneuvers, improper card dealing, improper payouts, and "capping," which is when a gambler surreptitiously adds additional chips to their bet after a result has been announced, according to police.
Karki received approximately $14,500 in fraudulent winnings and Tharpa had about $2,050 when they left the gaming table at about 1:50 a.m. on July 14, police said.
Surveillance workers at the casino noticed the alleged cheating tactics and contacted State Police, according to criminal complaint affidavits filed against the suspects.
Investigators identified Karki and Tharpa through their Penn Entertainment Player's Cards and drivers licenses, using images captured by the casino's surveillance system.
All three suspects are free after posting bail, which was set at $5,000 each, according to court records.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 30.
