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Justin Ly: Sentenced for Star Casino fraud offences

A man who brazenly swiped over $90,000 worth of gambling chips from Star Casino has told the court his profitable scam was possible, in part, to the complex’s poor security system.

Justin Ly (right) leaves Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: Gaye Gerard
Justin Ly (right) leaves Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: Gaye Gerard

A man who brazenly swiped over $90,000 worth of gambling chips from Star Casino has told the court his profitable scam was possible, in part, to the complex’s poor security system.

Justin Ly will spend the next eight months locked inside his Bonnyrigg home after he was sentenced for repeatedly manipulating dealers to hand over thousands of dollars worth of chips

Justin Ly. Picture: John Grainger
Justin Ly. Picture: John Grainger
He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud by deception.
He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud by deception.

The 23-year-old man, who was employed as a gaming supervisor, would lie to dealers about a ‘customer’ – his criminal accomplice – who had gone to the bathroom and left behind a number of gambling chips, typically valued about $7500. When the ‘customer’ returned, Ly would order the dealer to pay out the ‘owed’ money in chips.

Ly was sentenced to eight months home detention. Picture: Gaye Gerard
Ly was sentenced to eight months home detention. Picture: Gaye Gerard

This scam was executed with success more than a dozen times across a number of months in 2019.

The court heard the dangerous scam took place to fund his own gambling addiction, which was already intense before he began working at the casino.

Magistrate Michael Antrum., in sentencing Ly, said the young man had taken advantage of what he believed was a “poor security system” and used his “knowledge of how the system operated”.

Ly was sentenced to eight months home detention.
Ly was sentenced to eight months home detention.

The Bonnyrigg man is now attending weekly sessions to address his gambling problem and is on a doctor-issued mental health plan, with a court-ordered report stating he was a low risk of reoffending.

Outside court in January, Ly spoke of the crippling addiction which led him down the criminal path.

“Gambling is pretty bad, I guess that’s what made me do that,” he said.

Ly was convicted of fraud by deception and placed on an eight-month intensive correction order, to be served by home detention. He was also ordered to repay Star $83,500.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/liverpool-leader/justin-ly-sentenced-for-star-casino-fraud-offences/news-story/cde122d177a70dc1271912fa229d767d