Encore Boston Casino dealer, player convicted in $15K cheating scheme

A gambler and a dealer at Encore Boston Harbor Casino were found guilty on Friday of stealing $15,000 in a baccarat cheating scheme.

Encore baccarat dealer Jianming Li of Delaware and game player Jun Na Zhang of New York were each found guilty on two counts of cheating and swindling more than $1,000, the Attorney General’s Office announced. They were also found guilty on one count each of larceny over $1,200 by a single scheme.

The shady dealings happened in late October and late November of 2019 in the high-limit section of Encore.

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Li would fan and expose the cards in baccarat to himself, memorize the sequence and tell Zhang what the sequence was. Zhang ended up winning about $15,000 over the course of two nights.

Li received a 364-day committed house of correction sentence that will be suspended for two years. Zhang received a 364-day committed house of correction split sentence with six months served in jail, also suspended for two years.

The investigation was led by the State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at Encore Boston Harbor Casino, with assistance from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the AGO’s Gaming Enforcement Division and State Police. The casino cooperated in the investigation.