Derek Bethea of Bayonne, New Jersey was convicted today of illegally placing bets at three Atlantic City casinos. The man stood accused of placing bets after the winning numbers at a craps table had been determined. Derek Bethea has spent most of the past 13 years in prison, due to convictions stemming from quite similar incidents.
The conviction came after a week long jury trial. Derek Bethea faced two counts of third-degree swindling and cheating at casino gaming, along with one count of fourth-degree swindling and cheating at casino gaming.
Caught Cheating at Borgata, Resorts, & Revel Casinos
The events which led to the trial took place on August 15, 2013. Mr. Bethea placed a $1,100 bet on a craps table at the Borgata Hotel & Casino after the dice had come out. At the time of the bet, he collected his winnings and left the casino. The next day, after Borgata's security had noticed the cheating on their video surveillance, Bethea was detained and charged.
On August 30, 2013, Bethea went to the Resorts Hotel & Casino and tried the same tactic. This time, he placed a $505 wager at a craps table after the winning number was determined. This time, the casino staff refused to pay the bet. Before he left the casino floor, Bethea was detained and charged a second time.
The next day, Derek Bethea placed a $240 craps bet after the winning number had been determined at a craps table in the Revel Casino. Once again, the Revel Casino management refused to pay his winnings. Though he left the casino on the third occasion, he was detained the same day, then arrested for cheating and swindling.
Past Criminal History
Back in 2001, Derek Bethea was convicted of cheating and swindling offenses. A the time, he was sentenced to three years in the state prison. In September 2005, Bethea was caught committing cheating and swindling offenses.
After his second conviction, he had to serve nearly 8 years in state prison. Bethea was released from prison on July 19, 2013--less than a month after he was released from incarceration. Sentencing will take place on June 6. The most serious charge Bethea faces carries a sentence of 3 to 5 years is state prison.
Ray Rice Appears in NJ Court
Recently, Ray Rice appeared in court to answer charges stemming from an incident at the Revel Hotel Casino on February 15, 2014. Revel Casino video cameras filmed Ray Rice emerging from a hotel elevator dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer, who was at the time Rice's fiance. After being questioned by casino security, it was determined that Ray Rice and his fiance had gotten into an argument in the elevator. According to Rice and Palmer's accounts, she struck him and he struck back, which knocked her unconscious.
At his appearance in court in May 2014, Ray Rice was joined by Janay Palmer, who is now his wife.
Applied for Pretrial Intervention Program
At the time, both were arrested on assault charges. Palmer's charges later were dropped. In the recent five-minute court hearing, Ray Rice pleaded "not guilty". Through his attorney, Michael Diamondstein, Rice applied for New Jersey's pretrial intervention program. The program alows first-time offenders to have their charges dismissed, if they meet certain conditions.
A county prosecutor will decide whether Ray Rice qualifies to enter the program. Prosecutors already have offered Rice a plea bargain. The plea agreement would allow Rice to avoid jail time, if he agrees to participate in anger management counseling. Ray Rice has stated in the media he is "ashamed" and "sorry" for his conduct. Since the time of his arrest, Ray Rice and Janay Palmer married. In fact, their wedding was the day after Ray Rice's indictment.
Ray Rice Career Recap
Ray Rice is star running back for the Baltimore Ravens franchise in the National Football League. He was a star runner for Rutgers University in New Jersey, before his NFL career. The Ravens won the 2013 Super Bowl and Rice was a big part of the team's drive to the NFL Championship. In the 2013-2014 season, Ray Rice suffered through an injury-plagued season, which proved to be the least productive NFL season he had faced since his rookie season, when he was a backup contributor.
The Baltimore Ravens organization has expressed its support of Ray Rice after the incident at the Revel Casino. Whether he qualifies for the pretrial intervention program or enters a plea bargain and gets probation, Rice is expected to be back in the starting lineup for the Ravens to start the 2014 NFL season. It is yet to be seen if NFL Commission Roger Goodell will suspend Ray Rice for the incident, but in past cases, when a player did not receive a conviction, they are not suspended.
