Man banned from casinos arrested for bets

[clevfan]

August 7, 2008


Man banned from casinos arrested for bets

By Jaclyn O'Malley
Reno Gazette Journal

A Sparks man has joined dozens of men and one woman in Nevada's black book, a list of "unsavory" people banned from entering licensed casinos due to their gaming crimes.

John Edward Mealey Jr., 67, became the third black book person in the state Wednesday to be arrested in recent decades for entering a casino after being ordered never to do so, Gaming Control Board officials said.

He was booked into Washoe County Jail on nine gross misdemeanor counts of unlawfully entering a licensed gaming establishment and faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine on each count.

Mealey posted $13,500 cash bail and was released. He did not return a call to his Sparks home.

Agents said they saw Mealey go into casinos in Reno and Sparks in June and July and bet on baseball games.

Mealey was arrested at Diamonds Casino, near downtown Reno.

In 2001, the board unanimously ordered Mealey be placed in the black book because of his notorious and unsavory reputation.

The commission said in its order that his presence in a casino would adversely affect public confidence and trust that the gaming industry is free from criminal or corruptive elements.

Mealey had been convicted of using slot cheating devices including a device that disables part of a slot machine that stops payouts once the right amount is paid to a gambler.

He also has convictions for forgery and heroin possession and trafficking.

Casinos can be penalized for allowing black book members on their premises, but the Control Board said Mealey, who had lost weight and grown facial hair, didn't look like his photo in the book.

He was listed in the document seven years ago.

The black book was originally meant to keep organized crime members out of casinos, authorities said.