A man officials say is a notorious Las Vegas casino cheat, known to authorities since 1999, was nabbed over the weekend at a Pennsylvania casino.
Jubreal Chahine, 40, was spotted Saturday afternoon at the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem. Police took him into custody without incident after being alerted by Sands employees, and he was taken to the Northampton County Prison, officials told NBC10.com.
It's far from a first scrape with the law for Chahine, who is one of seven men on the Nevada Gaming Control Board's most wanted list and had warrants out listing 21 felony charges, almost all of them for cheating.
"He's kind of a repeat offender," said Karl Bennison, the board's chief of enforcement. "That's why he ranks so high."
Chahine has been arrested in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003, mostly for cheating techniques including pinch-pressing and past-posting, Bennison said. Both involve changing a wager after it has already been placed.
Officials tell NBC10.com he'd peek at his hand in Black Jack or Baccarat while the dealer wasn't looking and then increase his bet. He'd also increase his bet in roulette and craps after the ball was dropped or the dice thrown.
He was sentenced to 19 to 48 months in prison on a cheating conviction in late 2003, according to Clark County court records. More arrests came 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013, Bennison said.
Reports of Chahine's activity come from "a laundry list" of Las Vegas Strip casinos. "He doesn't seem to have a favorite," Bennison said.
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Chahine was expected to be extradited to Nevada. It wasn't immediately clear if he retained an attorney.