An undercover operation into a string of armed
robberies of Indiana casino winners has led to three arrests
Thursday, an Ohio prosecutor said.
Two men and a woman were indicted as a result of a sting that began at the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Ind., on Wednesday night and ended with their arrests early Thursday morning, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said.
The three suspects followed and tried to rob an undercover police officer who used a walker to look "vulnerable" and showed a lot of cash at the casino, Deters said.
The sting was part of an investigation into a string of at least 26 robberies of winners at riverboat casinos in neighboring Indiana. Most of the robberies occurred in Ohio, according to the prosecutor's office. The names of other casinos were not available Thursday.
Kenyatta Erkins, 35, and Ugbe Ojile, 34, were each indicted on two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. Amy Hoover, 25, was indicted on one count of aggravated robbery, the prosecutor said.
Court records listed Cincinnati addresses for the three, but indictments released by the prosecutor's office gave Ojile's address as Staten Island, N.Y. A prosecutor's spokeswoman said Ojile's hometown could not be immediately confirmed.
"These individuals would target victims that they saw were winning money, follow them from the casino to their homes or hotels and at gunpoint commit the aggravated robbery," Deters said at a news conference.
More charges against the three are expected, and others may be charged, Deters said.
All three were being held Thursday at the Hamilton County jail. Jail and court records did not list attorneys for them.
Hollywood Casino officials did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Authorities first became aware in February of a pattern of robberies targeting winners after they left Indiana casinos. Deters said many of the victims were elderly and seen as more vulnerable.
"We believe there may be victims out there who have not come forward for a variety of reasons," Deters said.
The prosecutor urged anyone who has been the victim of an armed robbery after leaving one of the Indiana casinos to contact his office.
Two men and a woman were indicted as a result of a sting that began at the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Ind., on Wednesday night and ended with their arrests early Thursday morning, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said.
The three suspects followed and tried to rob an undercover police officer who used a walker to look "vulnerable" and showed a lot of cash at the casino, Deters said.
The sting was part of an investigation into a string of at least 26 robberies of winners at riverboat casinos in neighboring Indiana. Most of the robberies occurred in Ohio, according to the prosecutor's office. The names of other casinos were not available Thursday.
Kenyatta Erkins, 35, and Ugbe Ojile, 34, were each indicted on two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. Amy Hoover, 25, was indicted on one count of aggravated robbery, the prosecutor said.
Court records listed Cincinnati addresses for the three, but indictments released by the prosecutor's office gave Ojile's address as Staten Island, N.Y. A prosecutor's spokeswoman said Ojile's hometown could not be immediately confirmed.
"These individuals would target victims that they saw were winning money, follow them from the casino to their homes or hotels and at gunpoint commit the aggravated robbery," Deters said at a news conference.
More charges against the three are expected, and others may be charged, Deters said.
All three were being held Thursday at the Hamilton County jail. Jail and court records did not list attorneys for them.
Hollywood Casino officials did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Authorities first became aware in February of a pattern of robberies targeting winners after they left Indiana casinos. Deters said many of the victims were elderly and seen as more vulnerable.
"We believe there may be victims out there who have not come forward for a variety of reasons," Deters said.
The prosecutor urged anyone who has been the victim of an armed robbery after leaving one of the Indiana casinos to contact his office.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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