Rough COVID-19 Rebound for Casinos as They Deal with Murder and Theft

The restart of the US economy has brought with it a restart of criminal activity, as well. Casinos across the US had enjoyed a lull in crime because of COVID-19, but that has changed since health restrictions are being lifted across the country. The past week has seen several high-profile crimes linked to casinos in New Jersey and Las Vegas, and law enforcement officers are going to have their work cut out for them as the summer drags on.

Woman Found Murdered at Hard Rock Atlantic City

Last Friday, police were called to the Hard Rock Atlantic City after a woman was found dead in a hotel room at the resort. She had reportedly been stabbed multiple times and it didn’t take long for the suspected killer to be identified. While many of the details are still sketchy, Frankie E. Lane apparently checked into the hotel with his now-deceased girlfriend, Sharon Whaley, and it wasn’t difficult to piece together the overall picture. The motive for the murder is still unclear, and police want to apprehend the 59-year-old Philadelphia resident to find out why he did it.

Atlantic City has received a grade of “D” in terms of the level of crime in the city by CrimeGrade.org. The grade means that the city falls within the bottom 20% of cities in the US in terms of safety. The site indicates that a crime takes place every two minutes in the city but, on the bright side, Atlantic City’s murder rate is much lower than that in cities such as Las Vegas and Chicago.

Wisconsin Man Loses Race With Cops After Attack

Anthony James Wilson likely already has a cell with his name on it in a Wisconsin prison somewhere, but he doesn’t seem to learn. The 28-year-old was convicted of seven felonies between 2010 and 2013 and is about to add another. He reportedly beat a man outside the Ho-Chunk casino in the Wisconsin town of Delton last Thursday, striking him and punching him as many as 15 times, according to reports. The victim gave police a description of the vehicle Wilson was in, and the race was on.

A police officer spotted Wilson’s car and gave chase, only to have the attacker try to flee. Unfortunately for him, his car of choice was a Saturn Ion, which wasn’t in the mood to take on a supercharged police cruiser. It clunked out and the police were able to catch up with him after he bailed on foot. Wilson, who told police after being nabbed that he may have broken his hand in the fight, admitted to carrying a weapon in violation of his status as a convicted felon, and he’s likely going to return to his second home managed by the state’s penal system. Wilson faces up to 100 years behind bars and $170,000 in fines, and will make his first appearance in front of a judge on June 24.

Attempted Robbery in Vegas Leaves One Wounded

Yesterday, just after the new day began, an unidentified man was attacked outside the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It started as an apparent robbery but, when the victim refused the demands of the “suspect with a muscular build,” he was stabbed once. The assailant then fled, without having scored any money, and the victim was able to get help from casino personnel. His condition hasn’t been released and there haven’t been any updates on the status of the suspect, who reportedly remains at large.

Vegas has had its fair share of crime; some might even say it’s had more than its share. The city began to see a spike in violent crimes two years ago, leading to Operation Persistent Pressure being launched last year. That was a law enforcement operation that had more police patrolling the streets around casinos as they looked to clean up the city’s image. A second campaign, Operation Persistent Pressure II, has been launched this year to pick up where its predecessor stopped, and both have been successful in removing weapons, including a gold-plated AK-47, from the streets.