A 35-year-old man was arrested near Encore Boston Harbor casino resort this week, charged with a smash and grab theft of $13,000 in casino chips.
Gary Hunt, of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is accused of swiping a dozen $1,000 orange chips from the Wynn Resorts casino in Everett, Massachusetts.
Police say Hunt distracted players at a blackjack table by shouting about a jackpot at a nearby slot machine. He then allegedly grabbed a tray full of chips from the table’s dealer and attempted to flee the casino. However, he was caught in a parking lot just outside the premises.
Hunt is the son of former mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt of Woonsocket. The Rhode Island city is around 50 miles from Encore Boston Harbor, just across state lines.
The Theft
The incident began on Tuesday. August 5, at around 6.p.m. Staff told police they noticed Hunt arrive and then simply sit at a blackjack table without playing any hands.
He sat there for some half an hour, police say, before he jumped up from his seat, pointed at a nearby row of slots players, and started shouting about a jackpot win.
During the distraction, Hunt then allegedly grabbed a tray of 13 $1,000 chips from the dealer and hot-footed it out of the casino. Security and then police tracked him down to a nearby parking lot. Police say he still had most of the chips on his person, including two he attempted to hide in his shoe.
The Charges
Hunt was transferred to Medford Barracks by state police. There he was charged with one count of larceny over $1,200 and one count of larceny from a building.
He posted bail and is due back in court on September 16 to face the charges.
To add to his troubles, Hunt’s family also released a statement after the news broke. They confirmed that he has been going through addiction and mental health issues,
“We are deeply saddened by the recent events involving our eldest son, Gary, which occurred within the context of his longtime mental health and addiction struggles,” Baldelli-Hunt wrote.
“Although we have continued to provide support and guidance, he has not been able to overcome his struggles. Our family denounces this form of behavior while recognizing it as an unfortunate complexity of the human body.”
In a recent higher stakes smash and grab casino chip theft, a Nevada couple were arrested in July on suspicion of stealing $650,000 in casino chips and cash from an unattended casino cage at Primm Valley Casino Resort.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
