California Casino Camera Catches Cheating Chula Cop Capping Chips

Source

A [Chula Vista], CA nine nine year police veteran has been arrested at a San Diego Indian casino for cheating at a blackjack card game.

At 2AM last Friday, a Chula Vista cop was busted red handed at the Sycuan Casino for cheating at a blackjack card game.

Jesus Angel Salazar, 30, a 9 year police veteran, was gambling with his mother and girlfriend when a veteran blackjack dealer caught Jesus ‘capping’ his bets. Capping is an illegal practice and is no different than theft and is not a recommended strategy for winning at blackjack casino games.

The blackjack dealer noticed the police officer cheating a total of three times. When the dealer saw Jesus Angel capping the bet for the fourth time, the California gaming commissioners were notified.

Capping, sometimes incorrectly identified as ‘pressing a bet’, is a form of sleight of hand where the cheater adds one or more high value chips to the bet after winning the hand. Capping requires premeditation, since a high value chip must be ready and kept in the palm prior to the start of the hand (or slipped under the two cards).

If the first two cards show a natural blackjack (21), the hidden high-value chip is slipped into the existing bet with one smooth motion. The two cards are used as a cover from both casino security cameras, the dealer, the players and the observers.

A major difference between play in casino and online casino blackjack is greater security for both the casino and the player.

Jesus was arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of Illegal Gambling and released after posting $10,000 bail. The officer was immediately placed on an unpaid leave and asked to surrender his police badge and gun until the investigation is concluded.

Chula Vista Chief of Police David Bejarano vowed that “If (the) allegation is sustained and is accurate, I can assure you this person will not be a member of our department in the near future.”

Prior to making the arrest, police officers reviewed the casino security tape and determined there was probable cause to arrest one of their own.

Deputy Jesus Angel Salazar is no stranger to the Indian reservation based casino. Police were forced to acknowledge that two months earlier, Salazar was picked up for drunk driving in front of the casino garage. The hooch loving night owl cop’s blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit when he smashed into a stop sign at 1.30AM.

For some reason the cop was not charged with felony drunk driving as would have been all other drunk drivers without a police badge.

Casino gambling news reports that iIn 2006, Officer Salazar received the Best Driver of the Year award which is displayed on the Chula Vista police web page.

The media was not notified of the DUI arrest and Police Internal Affairs have been investigating the incident.

Short URL: http://www.eastlaketimes.com/?p=2725

Posted by Eastlaketimes on Jun 6 2011. Filed under Community of Eastlake, Eastlake News, Local News, Police Blotter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry