The Nevada Gaming Control Board has nominated a man convicted of stealing chips for the state’s Black Book, excluding him from casinos.
The exclusion of Neal Ahmed Hearne now goes before the Nevada Gaming Commission for approval.
Senior Deputy Attorney General John Michela outlined the case to the three-member Board on Wednesday. In January 2018, Hearne was convicted of theft of gaming chips from a patron at the Aria Resort & Casino. He was ordered as a condition of probation not to enter any gaming establishment to gamble.
In June 2018, the judge ordered Hearne to stay out of the Strip corridor unless he was employed there in a case dealing with theft at the Silverton Casino Lodge.
Michela said prosecutors opted not to pursue 13 additional cases of theft of gaming chips as part of the plea agreement under the two felonies. Those other cases involved taking chips from patrons or the chip bank.
“Seeing it happen (on video) shows that Mr. Hearne’s criminal actions are not only brazen, but prolific,” said Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick. “Those 13 other cases are an extreme number. The one where he grabbed a significant number of chips out of the tray is phenomenal. You can see the customers and employees pointing it out. He’s a perfect nomination not to be allowed in any non-restricted locations.”
Board member Brittnie Watkins, agreeing that what Hearne does is brazen, supported the exclusion.
Board member George Assad called it a “slam dunk.” He said, “We can’t have people doing these kinds of things. It shows the dangerousness of it. A security guard could have gone after him and there could have been an exchange, a shooting, in a casino.” Assad, a former judge, cited the 13 other cases to get the plea bargain, which means it can’t be appealed.
“These convictions are solid. They’re on the books and will not be overturned on any type of appeal,” Assad said. “This is a clear-cut case to be placed in the list of excluded persons.”
Hendrick followed up by saying that because Hearne had 13 other incidents of chip theft in Clark County, the attorney general should work with prosecutors around the state to ensure that when brazen crimes occur, they’re not pleaded down and prompt unintended consequences.
