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A vice admiral and the second in command of the US nuke program at the United States Strategic Command outside of Omaha, Nebraska, has been suspended for his alleged role in a counterfeit casino chip probe.
The incident, first reported Saturday, involved poker at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Little additional details have been provided. The suspension occurred on September 3 but was only made public yesterday (September 28).
DCI agents stationed at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, discovered the counterfeit chips, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent David Dales said Saturday. He would not say when the discovery was made or how much in counterfeit chips was found, only that "it was a significant monetary amount."
The NCIS investigation began in July, according to the command's top spokeswoman, Navy Capt. Pamela Kunze. The action was only made public Saturday (September 28, 2013). Few addional details were provided and the investigation is ongoing but Gambling911.com will continue to monitor this story and report the latest information as it comes in.
Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, who heads Strategic Command, suspended the deputy commander, and has recommended to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that Giardina be reassigned
Giardina remains at STRATCOM near Omaha, Nebraska, pending reassignment. He is prohibited from performing any duties related to nuclear weapons or security issues.
Admiral Giardina is a career submarine officer who assumed his duties at the Strategic Command in December 2011. He was previously the deputy commander and chief of staff of the Pacific Fleet.
It was not clear whether Admiral Giardina’s actions compromised national security or the operations of the Strategic Command.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission was expected to commence an investigation of its own at the Horseshoe Casino on Monday, according to Brian Ohorilko. administrator of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
“The priority on Monday, when the staff makes it to the facility, is to try to determine what occurred,” Ohorilko said. “To make sure the facility did everything it was supposed to do."
He added: “The expectation is that the facility has controls and procedures in place for when or if a counterfeit chip were to be used at a facility."
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
