On October 23rd, 2007, criminal charges have been again filed against three ex staff of Blue Springs Keno regarding the allegations of cheating and changing the lottery machines to benefit them. Hearings were held from October 11th, 2007 for Robert Roberts, 45-year old and Jamie Phipps, 42-year old from Wymore on criminal charges of theft (more than $1,500), a Class Three charge utilizing a lottery machine for cheating, a Class IV criminal charge and breaking the lottery act, which is a Class I charge.
Succeeding hearings for Roberts and Phipps have been set for October 30th, 2007. The 3rd staff, Jana Fletcher, 35 year-old from Wymore will be arraigned on November 13th, 2007 on the same criminal charges. A class III criminal charge carries a punishment of twenty years of imprisonment and $25,000 fine while a Class IV criminal act carries a maximum punishment of 5 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine.
A Class I misdemeanor charge carries a penalty of one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. The chief deputy attorney for Gage County, Rick Schreiner commented that the charges were first filed by ex deputy county attorney Jerry Shelton against Roberts, Phipps and Fletcher. But after the election in 2006 where Shelton and County Attorney Richard Smith were defeated, Shelton dismissed the case because of the concern that the case could not be finished during the 6 months waiting period.
Schreiner said that the case is complicated and it is just out of concern about the limitations that Jerry Shelton withdraw the case. Schreiner added that the six month time frame has proven important as deputy attorney Paul Payne and Gage County Attorney Randall Ritnour have been checking out files and other documents from the Blue Springs Keno case.
The lawyers are also collaborating with the Nebraska Department of Revenue on the charge. Schreiner said that the department's assistance has proven useful in understanding how lottery works. The charges against the three ex employees are in connection with their tampering of the keno machines that are used to randomly mixed the balls that are then noted by the keno caller.
Allegedly, when Roberts, Fletcher and Phipps called a keno game, they would stop one of the balls from coming out of the machine at the end of each keno game. Before the end of each keno game, they would put down a one spot wager that the stop ball would be called in the succeeding game. Schreiner said that the investigation is still ongoing and because of that, they would not comment as to whether more arrest will be coming. He mentioned that enough proof has already been collected to know that Roberts, Phipps and Fletcher are cooperating together.
[07-11]
John M. Thorpe
