Two others charged in August stabbing
By JOSH RESNEK
Two separate incidents – a baccarat cheating scheme and a stabbing incident at the casino – have led to the indictment of five people, according to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.
The indictments were announced last Friday.
An Encore casino dealer, a former dealer from Maryland, and a third individual from Philadelphia were able to steal $23,500 over two nights, authorities said.
The second incident which led to indictments of two men involved a stabbing that occurred at the casino last August between a Framingham man and a Natick man.
The indictment for the cheating scheme indicates that Jianming Li, 53, of Delaware, and Jun Zhang, 41, of New York, have been indicted on charges of cheating under the Gaming Act (two counts each), conspiracy (two counts each), and larceny by a single scheme (one count each). Li was also charged with making false statements to the Gam- ing Commission.
De Lin, 46, of Philadelphia, was indicted on charges of cheating under the Gaming Act and conspiracy.
“It is alleged that while he was dealing the cards, Li exposed a series of playing cards, memorized them, marked them with a ‘book mark’ card, then used his cell phone to communicate the cards and their order to Zhang, when both excused themselves to use separate bathrooms,” Attorney General Maura Healey’s office said.
All three men will face fines and prison sentences.
In the August stabbing incident, the grand jury indicted David Guante, 30, of Natick and James Johnson of Framingham.
Guante is facing a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon while Johnson faces a charge of assault and battery.
“According to an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at Encore Boston Harbor, Guante and Johnson became involved in a dispute with another casino patron by the casino cashier,” authorities said. “This dispute resulted in Johnson striking the alleged victim in the face. Guante and the victim then engaged in a fight, during which Guante allegedly stabbed the victim once in his abdomen.”
All of the defendants will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.