Judge Susan Handy Dismisses Remaining Craps Cheating Charges Against Richard Taylor
A New London court judged dismissed the remaining craps gaming conspiracy charges against convicted craps cheated Richard S. Taylor on August 24th, 2009 after a state prosecutor said that the state is no longer interested in pursuing the charges.
43 year-old Taylor of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced last month to ten years in prison after a jury found him guilty of organizing a craps cheating scam at the Foxwoods Resort Casino. He was charged with a similar craps conspiracy at the Mohegan and had filed a motion for a speedy trial. Prosecutor Stephen M. Carney said before the court that the state is no longer keen in pursuing the charges.
Prosecutor Carney entered a "nolle" which states that he agrees to drop the charges but keeps the right to reopen the case against Taylor and prosecute at any time during the next thirteen months. Taylor asked Judge Susan B. Handy to dismiss the craps cheating against him "without prejudice". Judge Handy dismissed the case but Taylor continued to argue that he was being treated unfairly.
Judge Handy then told judicial marshals to take away Taylor from the courtroom. Foxwood casino employees who had testified at Taylor's trial that they received some cash in exchange for paying him for illegal wagers have been permitted to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges or apply for accelerated rehabilitation, a diversionary program in which the charges are removed from their criminal record if they successfully passed a probationary period.
Last week, the sole Mohegan Sun casino employee implicated in the craps scam pleaded guilty to a 4th degree larceny charge in exchange for a suspended prison sentence and 1 year probation. 38 year-old Johnnie Baker of Canterbury admitted to receiving $800 tip from Taylor in exchange for giving Taylor $11,500 for 4 late wagers that Taylor placed at Baker's craps table in January 2008.
2009-09-06
Peter McCarthy
