Richard Taylor Refuses to Divulge Financial Records
Mr. Richard "Mr. Casino" Taylor of Memphis, Tennessee denied the state a glimpse of his personal income tax records as part of the state's pre-sentence report on July 17th, 2009. He was convicted on charges that he was the leader of an infamous craps cheating group with about a dozen casino dealers at area gaming facilities.
43 year-old Richard Taylor strode confidently into the courtroom in New London with smiles for the prosecutors. He said no to defense lawyer Ralph U. Bergman when asked by Judge Stuart M. Schimelman if he planned to release his financial documents to the court.
Schimelman, who will decide Taylor's sentence, said that the financial information is usually used to determine amount of restitution and fines. Schimelman said that he has no power to force Taylor to divulge the information. He asked the investigator in the case to find other means to get the information that they needed.
He added that he do not think that he can order Taylor to release those records. Taylor, a self-proclaimed professional gamer who is banned from entering casino facilities all over the US, claimed at the trial that he was a "whale" or high-roller, making $3,000 to $5,000 bets and giving hundreds of dollars in tips to casino dealers.
He denied the craps cheating charges, stating that he use his own sure-fire winning system for craps. Police officers estimated that the cheating cost casino facilities a total of $70,000. Taylor was convicted on the charges of 1st degree larceny, conspiring to commit 1st degree larceny and casino games cheating aside from other charges.
He faces the possibility of decades of incarceration when is sentenced on July 24th, 2009. The criminal cases against ex-casino employees charges in connection with the craps cheating ring are pending in court.
2009-08-09
Peter McCarthy
