JACK Cleveland Casino poker dealer Jason Saliba, a 51-year-old from North Olmsted, Ohio, has been officially indicted for 14 violations of casino gaming laws, in addition to a misdemeanor theft charge. These charges stem from accusations that he stole chips during poker games at the casino.
According to pokernews.com, in early September of this year, a keen-eyed poker player noticed that Jason Saliba was allegedly taking chips from the pot during a game. After the player reported this to the casino staff, they reviewed the surveillance footage, which confirmed the accusation.
As the investigation continued, they discovered five more instances where theft might have occurred, bringing the total to 14 alleged thefts within just one month.
The annual report from the Ohio Casino Control Commission shows that there were 24 cases of cheating in casinos from July 2023 to June 2024. Out of these, 12 incidents took place at JACK Cleveland Casino.
When someone is convicted of stealing in Ohio, they usually receive a ban from all gambling establishments in the state and get put on an exclusion list that prohibits their entry. For Saliba, the immediate fallout was his termination from JACK Cleveland Casino. His case is set for a pretrial status conference on December 3 at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court.
Even though the total amount of stolen chips is said to be less than $1,000, the legal repercussions could be quite serious. According to Ohio law, if someone is caught stealing less than $1,000, it is usually treated as a misdemeanor.
This could lead to a jail sentence of up to 180 days. However, there are also 14 violations of casino gaming laws involved, which are classified as fifth-degree felonies. If a person is convicted of these felonies, they could face an extra prison sentence of up to 12 months.
It’s interesting to note that Saliba isn’t the only person involved in a recent casino theft. Back in July, Ellis Quinn, a man from Tennessee, was indicted for cheating at craps in the very same casino.