2 charged in card-marking scheme at Live Casino Pittsburgh
Two men were arrested Friday in connection with what state police said was a card-marking scheme that netted them $12,175 from Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall.
The two suspects turned over the cash to troopers after being confronted while playing Mississippi Stud, according to court papers.
The security manager at the Hempfield casino reported to state police that the suspects were using indented playing cards to win games. Security footage showed the two suspects marking cards. They gambled there Thursday and Friday, police said.
Troopers pulled the them off the gaming floor around 4 p.m. Friday. Bahri Sahpolat, 47, of California, and Serdar Ozmen, 44, of Maryland, admitted to marking the cards. Sahpolat turned over $5,210 and Ozmen gave the trooper nearly $7,000.
A third person who was with them was released after police said there was no evidence they committed any crime.
Ozmen and Sahpolat are charged with use of a cheating device, theft, receiving stolen property and trespass. Both were denied bail. Preliminary hearings are set for Aug. 14. Neither suspect had an attorney listed in online court records.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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