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MARYLAND CASINO CATCHES COUNTERFEIT CHIP CROOKS
Casino chips are a branch of exonumia (or paranumismatics, for our British friends).
Just as with coins and tokens, they have a monetary value and there is an incentive for counterfeiters to make and pass fakes. The Washington Post published a story this week about counterfeit chips discovered at a Maryland casino.
-Editor
Rosa A. Nguyen, 36, and her husband, Vuong Q. Truong, 37 — both of Annandale in Northern Virginia — were charged with one count of theft and two counts of conspiracy to commit theft, after allegedly putting doctored chips into circulation at Maryland Live Casino. Additionally, Truong was charged with two other theft-related counts, according to a news release. The Maryland State Police investigation began after officials at Maryland Live reported that they’d identified dozens of counterfeit $100 chips in circulation at the Arundel Mills casino. According a Virginia court document, fake black chips were used throughout the casino on multiple occasions by four individuals, beginning in November. Using surveillance footage as well as driver’s license data and Nguyen’s Maryland Live player rewards card, investigators identified the four suspects and cataloged their crimes, which were committed in table-game pits and at cashier cages throughout the casino. The court document calls them “poker chips” but indicates that the fakes were used at roulette, blackjack and mini-baccarat tables, not in the Maryland Live poker room. According to the document, Truong admitted to Maryland State Police that he purchased the counterfeit casino chips on the Internet — paying $12,000 for $150,000 worth, authorities said. The chips were altered to appear similar to Maryland Live’s black $100 chips. Approximately $4,000 in fakes were recovered from the casino, the court document said.
To read the complete article, see:
Two charged, two others sought for passing fake chips at Maryland casino
(www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/02/25/two-charged-two-others-sought-for-passing-fake-chips-at-maryland-casino/)
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