Poker Player Faces 82 Charges Including Home Invasion

Written by:
Thomas Somach
Published on:
Sep/21/2008

An accused poker bandit, who was facing 52 criminal charges for a poker game robbery earlier this year, has now been hit with 30 more criminal charges, bringing the total number of criminal charges against him to 82.

According to media reports, Michael Joseph Campher, 22, of Hagerstown, Maryland, USA, was arrested on 52 criminal counts shortly after the May 30 armed robbery.

In that robbery, two men wearing ski masks broke into a private residence in Hagerstown at about 10 p.m. while a poker game was in progress.

After one of the bandits displayed a gun and told the poker players to put all their money on the poker table, the other bandit scooped up the cash and the robbers fled.

No one was injured in the heist.

Campher was apprehended by police after several of the robbery victims were able to identify him via what police called "his physical mannerisms."

Campher was originally charged with 52 criminal charges, based on evidence that he had robbed five men.

But now, police investigating the case have identified and interviewed three more victims of the robbery, bringing the number of known victims in the case to eight, media reports said.

With the additional robbery victims, police have charged Campher with 30 more criminal counts, including multiple counts of robbery, armed robbery, theft, conspiracy, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, assault and reckless endangerment, the reports said.

In addition, police now believe there may have been as many as 18 poker players who were victims of the robbery, the reports said.

Campher remains in jail, unable to post bond, the reports said.

His bail was originally set at $250,000 but now, with the additional charges, it has been raised by $100,000 to $350,000, the reports said.

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Thomas Somach, www.pokerhelper.com

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