A Russian teenager who stabbed her abusive, gambling addicted father to death with a kitchen knife has avoided going to prison for her actions.   

According to news outlet Readovka, Russian authorities have initially spared the girl named Alisa from prison pending a trial, while investigators have also ordered a post-mortem psychiatric test into the deceased father, 42, referred to as Roman Z. 

Alisa allegedly knifed Roman to death in “a desperate attempt to save her older sister from a brutal attack, following a disagreement.”

Roman allegedly attacked his older daughter after forcefully demanding she take out a loan to pay off his gambling debts, reportedly stating he would “drag her to the bank” if she refused to go.

As the argument escalated, Roman punched the elder girl and then swung a small knife at her, cutting her hand.   

The father’s prior warnings that it was futile for the girls to report his abusive behavior to the police – and that it would make things worse for them – appear to have massively backfired. 

endured beatings and humiliation

Too scared to approach the police, the girls allegedly endured beatings and humiliation from Roman, until the youngest finally cracked over Roman’s attack on her sister.  

According to reports, Russian state investigators stated Alisa ambushed her father from behind, plunging the kitchen knife twice into his neck.

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Law enforcement has targeted a St. Petersburg, Florida, police officer for allegedly sharing confidential information from private databases with the suspect allegedly responsible for two explosive devices that were left at the Tampa Hard Rock casino in September.

facing up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony

Officer Brandon Klaiber is facing two counts of offense against intellectual property and has been suspended without pay. He is facing up to five years in prison for the third-degree felony.

The 40-year-old is a long-time friend of the suspect, Bryan Eckley, who was released on $200,000 bail in April following his arrest on October 30. Eckley still denies involvement, and a judge in the case said that he was entitled to bail as the devices were more akin to fireworks than viable destructive devices.

He allegedly left two devices in restrooms in late September, leading to an evacuation.

Investigators found text messages between Eckley and Klaiber that contained information from restricted databases. The release announcing the second arrest did not shed any light on the nature of the information.

Klaiber has been an officer since 2008 and regularly provided information to his friend about different individuals. The authorities are now trying to determine if he disclosed similar information to others.

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Morata refutes claims

The captain of the Spanish national soccer team Alvaro Morata has denied any involvement in a Rolex resale scheme linked to an Italian soccer betting scandal. 

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Nicolo Fagioli, the Italian soccer star at the heart of an illegal betting scandal, alleged Morata supplied the luxury watches to help him pay off his gambling debts.  

Morata gets me the Rolex watches for way less”

The news emerging Wednesday results from a new investigation by Milan prosecutors into illegal online betting. The fresh probe reportedly revealed a message from Fagioli in which he stated: “Álvaro Morata gets me the Rolex watches for way less, and then he sells them. I’ve been doing this business with him for a year now.”

The Galatasaray striker and Spain captain took to social media in strong denial, stating “I have nothing to do with any of this — please don’t spread fake news or lies.”

New wave of scandals

While the fresh probe is looking at poker and non-soccer betting, it was triggered by the 2023 testimonies of Fagioli and Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, who have since served bans for their roles in illegal online sports betting. 

The Fagioli, Tonali evidence is, however, spawning fresh scandals, with USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie among 13 soccer players now under investigation for illegal online betting.  

From the new probe, news emerged last week of former Italy midfield legend Andrea Pirlo shuttering his son’s bank account after learning he’d racked up huge illegal online gambling debts. 

But the Rolex accusation leveled at Morata has the potential to tarnish his reputation and threaten his captaincy of the Spanish team. 

a way of paying off his reported €1.5m betting debt

According to the Gazzetta, Fagioli allegedly borrowed money from multiple close friends to establish a high-end watch resale business supplied by Morata, as a way of paying off his reported €1.5m ($1.7m) betting debt.

Morata denies all involvement in the Rolex scheme. “The only way I’ve helped Fagioli over the years is by giving him advice about his career, as a friend and someone with more experience.”

Strong denials

The Spain icon also reportedly denied any knowledge of Fagioli’s troubles with the law, stating: “I’ve never known anything about his situation.”

Morata said while he cared about his former Juve teammate and hoped “he can sort things out soon” he doubled down on his innocence. 

“Let me be clear: I deny all the claims because they’re FALSE.” 

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York Crown Court in the UK has sentenced caregiver Cheryl Louise Pratt to two years in jail for stealing £17,000 ($22,551) from elderly and vulnerable people to spend on gambling and takeouts.

The court handed down its sentence on Tuesday to the 35-year-old York native who worked as a senior support worker at a care home.

unusual banking account activity

According to Yorkshire Live, a brother of one of Pratt’s victims spotted unusual banking account activity, which led to an internal investigation, Pratt getting fired from her job, and a North Yorkshire Police investigation.

The police probe revealed that Pratt created multiple online accounts in the names of the residents at the care home before shifting money from their bank accounts. Pratt then transferred the money from the online accounts into her own account, using the cash to spend “huge sums of money on gambling websites,” takeouts, clothes, and gifts for her family. 

Pratt told police investigators that she made all the withdrawals with the approval of the account holders. A doctor overseeing the care home patients, however, overruled Pratt’s claim, stating that “none of the victims would have been able to provide true consent.”

As such, Pratt was charged with five counts of fraud. Speaking in York Crown Court, Detective Constable Oliver Dalby said Pratt’s offense was “cold, cruel and calculated.”

DC Dalby said the senior caregiver targeted the residents she knew were the “most vulnerable to financial exploitation.”

“The victims and her former colleagues have been left utterly devastated by her actions, and it is right that she faces the consequences of her crimes.”

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Stole to gamble

US District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced a Florida woman to ten years in prison after she stole over $4m from her employer for gambling and personal expenses. 

The US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO-MDFL) on Monday reported that Judge Barber sentenced Madelyn Hernandez, 49, for wire fraud and money laundering.

faked her own death when her employers discovered her fraud

The USAO-MDFL took to X with news of the sentence for the Lee County woman who faked her own death when her employers discovered her fraud:  

The DOJ news release stated Hernandez emailed her textiles and apparel firm posing as a family member who claimed Hernandez had died from surgery complications.

Ruse unravels

The USAO-MDFL release cited prosecutors as stating Hernandez worked for the company for 20 years where she placed orders and ran the company’s shipping, invoicing, and inventory. 

Over a six-year period under federal scrutiny, Hernandez submitted fraudulent invoices directing the payments to her bank accounts. 

The false invoice paper trail eventually linked to a fictitious company and a defunct firm. The scheme netted Hernandez $4,199,498.42 in total from her employer between 2018 and 2024.  

In June 2024, however, Hernandez’s employers uncovered her fraud. Instead of coming clean, the now-convicted felon sent her firm an email fraudulently claiming she was a member of Hernandez’s family and that her under-investigation relative had died following illness and complications from surgery.

found the fraudster very much alive

Unfortunately for Hernandez, her employers reported her to the FBI and Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation. The feds executed a search warrant for Hernandez’s home in October and found the fraudster very much alive. 

Ruse blown, Hernandez admitted to the feds she’d concocted fake invoices, fictitious companies with which to steal the firm’s money, and her own death. 

Closing statements

The DOJ cited court documents in which Hernandez stated she didn’t think what she stole “was as high as $4 million.” 

Prosecutors said that Hernandez would occasionally return some stolen funds in the hope that her employers would remain ignorant of her scheme.

Judge Barber ordered Hernandez, who initially pleaded guilty on January 28, to forfeit the $4m as part of her sentence.

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A New Orleans roulette dealer has been arrested for stealing from her employer. The Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division announced on Monday the apprehension of both 46-year-old Margaret Lake and her accomplice, 23-year-old Ahmod Junius.

Lake intentionally allowed Junius to place late wagers

Detectives from the Gaming Enforcement Division’s New Orleans Field Office began investigating a possible theft of more than $10,000 from Caesars New Orleans last Tuesday, April 8. They found that Lake intentionally allowed Junius to place late wagers, thus assuring that he would win. Though the police have not made public the exact amount of money that was illicitly won, both individuals have been charged with one count of theft between $5,000 and $25,000.

While dealers stealing or cheating is a fairly rare occurrence, the opportunity is there, so it does happen. In September 2024, for instance, JACK Cleveland Casino poker dealer Jack Saliba was found to have swiped chips from the pot and players’ stacks. He was fired and was charged with 14 separate gaming law violations.

In October and November of last year, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh blackjack dealer Jamie Smith dealt nearly 200 “fake” hands, resulting in players winning almost $22,000. Law enforcement confirmed suspicions when they saw Smith on surveillance footage not taking players’ chips on lost hands and overpaying on winning hands.

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Body lays charges

The UK Gambling Commission has charged 15 people, including former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s closest parliamentary aide Craig Williams, for election betting offenses.

multiple MPs and law enforcement officers remained under investigation

While the Metropolitan Police concluded its investigation last summer into the 2024 election betting violations without charging anyone, multiple MPs and law enforcement officers remained under investigation by the UKGC. 

After a probe spanning several months, the UK gambling regulator took to X Monday with news of its resulting charges: 

Along with Williams, the other notables charged over suspiciously timed bets linked to the 2024 General Elections include a current Welsh Senedd member and a former police officer. 

Shady activity prompts probe

The UKGC’s investigation targeted individuals believed to have used confidential advanced information about the proposed date of the 2024 elections to take unfair advantage of the betting markets. 

Being a criminal offense under the Gambling Act 2005 meant the UKGC could also exercise its authority to investigate such actions and “bring criminal prosecutions where appropriate.”

will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices”

The regulator stated Monday it “was committed to upholding the law and will continue to take robust action against illegal betting practices, including investigating and prosecuting offences.”

The UKGC began the investigation after Williams admitted placing a £100 ($128) that the election would be on July 4, just three days before then-PM Sunak announced the date. Williams argued he “committed a serious error of judgment, not an offense.”

Like Williams, all 15 the UKGC charged are or were staff members of the Conservative Party or candidates for election.

One-party problem

The Tories were quick to react, stating that all current members of staff charged “are being suspended with immediate effect.”

A Tory spokesman added that the party “believes that those working in politics must act with integrity.”

Chair of the opposition Labour Party Ellie Reeves, meanwhile, stated the charges were serious and the “British people will expect that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing faces the full force of the law.”

Those charged are up before the judge at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, June 13.

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Not all gambling busts require heavily armored law enforcement officers blowing off doors, as a pair of Metropolitan Police proved after taking down suspects in a busy London tourist area while dressed as Batman and Robin.  

The police force for Greater London took to X with a video clip of the two officers successfully “deploying creative tactics to protect the public” on Westminster Bridge: 

According to a police statement, organized gangs target tourists on the iconic London bridge with gambling games like the “three cups challenge” or “shell game.” 

The police said its officers were very familiar to the perpetrators, so a fresh approach was necessary.

might not be “the most conventional policing method”

Inspector Darren Watson (Batman) admitted donning superhero costumes might not be “the most conventional policing method,” but that it “worked perfectly.”

Watson said the Metropolitan Police was “thrilled” that it got “some great results, taking these people off the street and protecting tourists and Londoners from being fleeced.”

Batman and Robin’s arrests on the day included Eugen Stocia, 32, and Constica-Gherorghe Barbu, 53, under suspicion of providing gambling facilities. According to reports, London courts have already convicted both suspects. Barbu was fined £925 ($1,223), while Stocia was convicted in absence with a warrant subsequently issued for his arrest.

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High-profile arrests

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has added his voice to rising calls for the resignation of Prospect Park Councilman Anand Shah after his arrest last week along with high-ranking Lucchese mobsters.

major gambling ring bust

Shah, 42, and the Lucchese members were among dozens the New Jersey State Police arrested in a major gambling ring bust announced Friday. 

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin took to X to share news that all those arrested are accused of operating illegal poker games and an online sportsbook:

Since Shah’s alleged links to the gambling network have surfaced, his position as a publicly elected figure seems untenable.

On Monday, a spokesperson cited Governor Phil Murphy’s statement that he believed it “would be in the community’s best interest for the councilman to resign, effective immediately.”

Crime family drama

Shah was among 37 people the NJSP arrested and 39 people charged in the bust. Following a two-year investigation, state troopers swooped on illegal operations in Woodland Park, Garfield, and Totowa netting $3m in illicit profits, AG Piatkin alleged.

In a release, the AG’s office singled Shah out for “allegedly managing illegal poker games and an online sportsbook in association with the Lucchese Crime Family.”

charges include money laundering, racketeering

Shah’s multiple charges include money laundering, racketeering, and conspiracy to promote gambling and he faces a maximum 20 years in prison.

The accused councilman is due in court Tuesday, where according to the New York Post, “prosecutors will be arguing for him to be kept in jail while his case plays out.”

Rather than wait for justice, a group of elected officials from Shah’s municipality want the politician to resign his council position and withdraw from the re-election race immediately. Councilman Robert Artis prefaced the group’s demands by describing Shah as having held important posts including Treasurer of the Board of Education, and Finance Committee Chairman.

Taint of suspicion

Artis’ concerns echo those of Gov. Murphy who questioned Shah’s “ability to effectively serve the Prospect Park community.”

“Continuing to serve in any official capacity under this cloud of suspicion damages the credibility of our governing body and erodes confidence in how we manage both municipal and school finances,” Artis stated.   

AG Piatkin, meanwhile, warned that while popular fiction glamorized organized crime in New Jersey: “the reality isn’t romantic or cinematic. It’s about breaking the laws the rest of us follow and, ultimately, it’s about money, control, and the threat of violence.”

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Raids hit Triads

Police in China’s Special Administrative Region (SAR) of Hong Kong struck a major blow against organized crime after a bust on three illegal gambling premises in Yuen Long led to 122 arrests.

core members of triad gangs.”

The Hong Kong Police Force announced the arrests on Thursday, stating that of the people arrested between the ages of 14 to 67, some were “core members of triad gangs.”

HK Police took to X to publicize the April 10 busts that came on the back of a fortnight of fieldwork into illegal bars, gambling dens, and drug trafficking in the northern Hong Kong town:

Police made the arrests for multiple offenses including operating illegal gambling dens, gambling in said properties, money laundering, and drug manufacturing.

Authorities seized gambling paraphernalia and alcohol worth over HK$500,000 ($64,468) while also shuttering a vape-administered ‘space oil’ designer drug manufacturing facility. 

Space, a new frontier

Following the busts, a HK Police spokesperson stated the illegal establishments operated under extreme caution to avoid police detection.

According to reports, the premises stormed by the HK police were “heavily monitored with multiple CCTV cameras” with entry restricted to regular patrons or by those given the nod by trusted sources.

HK Police highlighted the use of “soundproofing materials, making it difficult for nearby residents to notice suspicious activity.”

Aside from the significant gambling-related wins for Hong Kong law enforcement, police drew special attention to a designer drug it said the Chinese SAR government had officially named ‘space oil.’

The HK Police stated users commonly:

inhaled space oil via e-cigarettes, causing “transient euphoria.”

According to the Hong Kong Free Press, police arrested one girl and two male teens for allegedly manufacturing the drug.

HK Police Chief Inspector Dylan Tai stated authorities found “450 grams of etomidate”, the ingredient that gives space oil users lift off. 

Space cadets

Chief Tai stated Thursday that Hong Kong authorities saw a serious increase in space oil abuse in 2024, with arrests rising from eight the previous year to 278 in 2024. Of those arrested, the majority were 21 or younger.

During the raids, HK Police seized 712 space oil capsules plus manufacturing materials Tai said could “produce 2,200 space oil capsules” worth HK$1m ($128,957) on the market. 

use as a recreational drug continues to escalate

The SAR government classified etomidate as a dangerous drug in February as its use as a recreational drug continues to escalate.

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A UK gambling addict scammed £59,987 ($77,178) from a US insurance firm in 2019 by concocting a fake story about a car crash he had while driving in California. After initially denying the allegations, Jack Higgins pleaded guilty in the Leeds Crown Court on the trial’s opening day in March. He managed to avoid prison time for his scam.

fake photographs, altered bank statements, and falsified evaluation reports

The Ilkley native told AIG Insurance that he crashed while driving a rented Range Rover. He even supplied false evidence to convince the company his claim was legitimate. This included fake photographs, altered bank statements, and falsified evaluation reports.

Higgins’ legal team explained how he was struggling with a gambling addiction at the time of the claim and has since sought treatment. The defendant’s father paid the money back to the insurance company.

In his ruling last week, Judge Tom Bayliss gave him a two-year suspended prison sentence, 300 hours of unpaid work, and he has to cover £6,000 ($7,719) in costs within a year. The judge remarked that it was an “undoubtedly sophisticated” scam and that Higgins could have saved a lot of money by admitting to the fraud earlier.

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The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has suspended 2006 world champion Graham Dott indefinitely after the Scottish native was charged over historic sex offenses.

another charge relates to the abuse of a boy between 2006 and 2010

The 47-year-old allegedly abused a girl in Glasgow between 1993 and 1996, and another charge relates to the abuse of a boy between 2006 and 2010. The children were reportedly about ten years old and seven years old at the time, respectively.

Dott’s next court hearing is on June 11 in Glasgow, and his WPBSA suspension means he will no longer be partaking in this week’s World Championship second round qualifiers unless he successfully appeals the decision. In addition to winning the world title in 2006, Dott finished as runner-up on two occasions.

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