Casino Crime Roundup: Man Charged for New Hampshire Holdup

Posted on: December 22, 2023, 07:01h. 

Last updated on: December 22, 2023, 10:45h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A 26-year-old man was arrested this week for allegedly robbing a woman in the parking lot of New Hampshire’s Filotimo Casino & DraftKings Sports Book.

Estevan Perez Ortiz of Manchester, NH, was charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon for the December 15 holdup.

The victim was in the lot of the Manchester gaming facility when Perez Ortiz, reportedly holding a gun, stole her wallet. There’s no word on how much money was in the wallet at the time.

Perez Ortiz reportedly fled the crime scene in a silver Honda Odyssey minivan. Police unsuccessfully searched for him in the immediate area around the casino, even using a specialized dog, according to Patch. But he was able to flee quickly.

Using surveillance video, police officers eventually were able to identify Perez Ortiz, who was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in Hillsborough Superior Court-North on Thursday.

Three Arrested for Fake Signatures

Three suspects were arrested recently for submitting fake signatures on Florida referendum proposals. One petition called for expanding gambling in the state.

David Lennard Simmons, 49, of Clewiston, Fla. was charged earlier this month with 17 counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information of a deceased individual.

The petition he was circulating would have allowed card rooms to provide games such as blackjack. The petition drive has since been recalled, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

On another petition topic, Zachary Paul Dworsky, 34, of Miami, was charged this month with 15 felony counts each of criminal use of personal identification information and signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition.

Their petitions called for the legalization of recreational marijuana. That issue has gotten enough signatures on petitions that it may be included in next November’s referendum.

Each of the suspects was a paid signature collector.

In a statement announcing the arrests, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd said, “To fraudulently misappropriate (the) process for personal gain is not only illegal, but also violates the trust of law-abiding Floridians across the state.”

196 Illegal Gambling Machines Seized

Florida authorities raided two illegal gambling operations on Wednesday, seizing 196 gambling devices and an unspecified amount of cash.

The unnamed gambling joints in Charlotte County were shut down. It wasn’t clear from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office if anyone will be charged.

The sheriff’s office sent the businesses two warning letters before the raid. The operators chose to ignore them, according to Florida TV station WFTX.