In the wake of his departure from Resorts World Las Vegas, the company’s ex-president and COO, Scott Sibella, has been accused of allowing criminals to gamble. Robert Cipriani, a Californian high roller, alleges that Sibella would knowingly “turn a blind eye” to multiple patrons who gambled with stolen money.
Through their negligence, the casino resort and Sibella himself have caused distress to Cipriani, the plaintiff says.
Filed in the US District Court of Nevada, the suit alleges that Robert Alexander, a person who was involved in a previous incident with Cipriani, used money that he had stolen from his investors to gamble at Resorts World Las Vegas.
Cipriani tried to tip off Sibella and the casino staff about what was happening but they allegedly ignored him. In addition, Alexander allegedly subjected the plaintiff to weeks of harassment and intimidation.
For reference, in November 2021, Alexander and Cipriani were involved in a case that caused Cipriani to be charged with robbery and larceny. These charges were eventually dropped. Alexander, on the other hand, has previously pled guilty to wire fraud and securities fraud.
This Wasn’t the Only Time the Resort Allowed Convicted Criminals to Play, the Plaintiff Says
As outlined in the lawsuit, Cipriani had also tried to inform the casino staff of additional criminal activities. The plaintiff provided screenshots of conversations between himself and the casino property’s surveillance operations manager, Joseph Tatonetti, as proof. The images prove that Cipriani had indeed tipped off Tatonetti about two criminals, notably Brandon Sattler and Edwin Ting, who were allowed to play at the casino.
Cipriani and Tatonetti agreed that Ting, who once operated an illegal gambling ring, should not have gotten through compliance. The manager had replied that “the cage director is really pissed about it as well.”
Cipriani will now seek compensations for alleged damages that Resorts World Las Vegas and Sibella have caused.
Speaking of Sibella, the aforementioned lawsuit comes a few weeks after the former Resorts World Las Vegas president was forced to leave the company because of unspecified violations. In the meantime, Resorts World Las Vegas named its chief financial officer, Peter LaVoie, as its new president.