Baccarat Dealer and Player Found Guilty of Cheating in Boston
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) reported in October that a Middlesex County jury convicted Encore Boston Harbor Casino baccarat dealer Jianming Li, from Delaware, and player Jun Na Zhang, from New York. Both were found guilty of two counts each of cheating and swindling over $1,000, as well as one count of larceny exceeding $1,200 by a single scheme.
The indictments show that the cheating incidents occurred on two separate dates in late October and early November 2019 within the high-limit area of Encore Boston Harbor Casino. Li allegedly fanned and exposed the cards to memorize their sequence before discreetly passing this information on to Zhang, who leveraged it to secure illegal winnings. In total, Zhang won approximately $15,000 over these two nights.
Cases like these highlight the importance of maintaining integrity in both land-based and online baccarat casinos, where security measures must be continuously updated to prevent cheating and ensure fair play for all participants.
Sentences Suspended for Two Years
During sentencing, Li received a 364-day committed sentence in a house of correction, suspended for two years, while Zhang was handed a split sentence, 364 days in a house of correction with six months to be served, also suspended for two years.
The Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at Encore Boston Harbor led the investigation, with support from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the AGO’s Gaming Enforcement Division, and the Massachusetts State Police. Encore Boston Harbor Casino cooperated fully throughout the investigation.
Assistant Attorneys General Brian Pearly and Joseph Posner of the AGO’s Gaming Enforcement Division led the prosecution. The division responsible for enforcing the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 investigates illegal activity within the gaming sector, including financial crimes, organized crime, corruption, and money laundering.
Several Baccarat Cheats Uncovered in 2024
This was not the first baccarat cheating scandal to be uncovered in the US this year. In March, four people were charged for their roles in a six-person baccarat scam that cost the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino $300,000.
Illinois residents Zu Lin, Yuhan Hu, Liping Zhou, and Zhencan Chen were implicated as members of the team accused of carrying out the scam. Police detained and questioned the individuals while they were still at the casino. The two other alleged participants, Fuxiang Liu and the suspected ringleader, Qingyong Zhang, manage to leave the casino hotel, reportedly carrying a rolling suitcase.
The scheme reportedly began around 3:52 a.m. Wednesday, 6 March, with all six individuals seated at a baccarat table that Zhang had reserved on the casino floor. Zhang allegedly manipulated the positioning of both his body and cards during the deck cut, discreetly recording the sequence of cards by thumbing their corners while using his cell phone positioned in his front-left pocket.
A String of High Value Wins
Shortly after taking seats, Zhang and Hu went to their separate hotel rooms, later regrouping in Hu’s room before returning to the baccarat table. By 5:10 a.m., Zhang is alleged to have signalled the group to raise their bets ahead of a series of wins. According to police, they steadily increased their bets on Zhang’s cue, resulting in the entire table winning six consecutive hands. The group left the table by 5:47 a.m., with Zhang returning to his room while the others continued to play various games around the casino. Zhang and Liu later left the premises, while the remaining four were detained by police.
During questioning, Hu revealed to police that Zhang had paid him $5,000 to participate, with all winnings going directly to Zhang. Further investigation revealed that both Hu and Zhou had previously been involved in similar gambling schemes in Illinois and Missouri, respectively.
