Two men are facing serious charges after allegedly executing a card-marking scheme at Live! Casino in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania. The suspects, identified as Bahri Sahpolat of California and Serdar Ozmen of Maryland, have been implicated in a fraudulent operation that may have cheated the casino out of roughly $14,270, as reported by the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office.
On August 2, security personnel at the casino caught three men using indented cards to gamble, which raised suspicions of dishonest activity. The following day, Pennsylvania State Police were notified by the casino's security team and promptly investigated the matter. According to the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, footage from the casino showed the men visibly playing cards at a table.
Sahpolat and Ozmen have both been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including theft and receiving stolen property, as well as possession of counterfeit, tampered, or unauthorized cheating devices. The district attorney's office stated that the individuals had admitted to marking the cards to secure winnings and had managed to take thousands of dollars. During the arrest, authorities recovered $12,175, which has since been returned to the casino, as detailed by WPXI.
Both suspects are currently held at the Westmoreland County Prison without bail. The lack of bail is due to concerns that both men are considered a flight risk. As the case is ongoing and the charges are serious, both Sahpolat and Ozmen are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
