Tulsa World: Men charged with conspiring to defraud Oklahoma casino with fake poker chips

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Men charged with conspiring to defraud Oklahoma casino with fake poker chips

By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/3/2009 5:16 PM
Last Modified: 11/3/2009 5:51 PM

Two Missouri men have been charged by a Tulsa federal grand jury with conspiring to defraud an Oklahoma casino by using counterfeit poker chips.

William Reece Lancaster, 49, and Mark Vernon Edmiston, 45, are accused of victimizing the Seneca Cayuga Grand Lake Casino near Grove from Sept. 11 through Oct. 8. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Shores said authorities believe that the case involves more than $25,000.

The indictment was one of two released Tuesday in unrelated cases as a result of the Tulsa federal grand jury’s regular monthly meeting.

Lancaster, of Webb City, Mo., and Edmiston, of Joplin, Mo. are accused of cashing in counterfeit chips, exchanging them for legitimate chips, introducing bogus chips into play and meeting to divide the “illegally and fraudulently stolen funds and money of the Seneca Cayuga Grand Lake Casino.”

Shores said casino security personnel eventually detected the alleged activity.

The pair were arrested in early October but are currently free on bond, records show.

Shores would not comment about how the pair are suspected of acquiring the chips.

In the unrelated indictment: Ruben Garcia, 29; Mauro Banuelos, 25; Rubi Garcia, 21; Leonel Ledezma, 26; Juan Antonio Martinez, 20; Oscar Palacios, 24; Gilberto Rivera, 32; and Alejandra Romero, 23, were charged with participating in a cocaine and methamphetamine conspiracy.

The eight — who have all lived in the Tulsa area — were first charged in an originally sealed complaint that was made public Oct. 21 when the defendants appeared in U.S. District Court after their arrests.

The following day, federal officials in Washington announced that the eight were more than 300 people who were arrested across the country in raids aimed at what authorities said is the newest and most violent Mexican drug cartel, La Familia. By DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Two men are charged in bid to defraud casino," which was published on 11/4/2009. So far, 23 comments have been made.