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Jianchu Liu, 48, who faced a felony count of cheating at a gambling game, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor theft last Friday.
Two Chicago-area casinos were in Liu's cross hairs, and he also had an accomplice. Targets included the Bally’s casino in River North and the Hollywood Casino Aurora between September 12 and November 26, 2023.
Judge Laura Ayala-Gonzalez ordered him to pay $10,000 restitution to Bally’s and placed him on a 12-month conditional discharge, according to court clerk entries.
Liu's scheming extended well beyond the Chicago area.
He was arrested for allegedly cheating at a casino’s baccarat table in Pennsylvania in February 2024.
From Casino.org:
Security officials at the Mohegan Sun casino in Wilkes-Barre keyed in on Liu when he launched an app on his phone at a baccarat table and darkened the screen so security could not see what he was doing, according to a report by Casino.org. The outlet said he placed the phone under a stack of scorecards that baccarat players use to keep track of games.
When a dealer offered Liu the opportunity to cut the cards, he manipulated the deck, quickly fanning it out so his phone could capture an image of the card values and sequence, according to the allegations. There was also a verbal exchange with the baccarat dealer. A few days later, Liu returned and allegedly “attempted to forcefully fan [out]” a deck of cards.
