Authorities reported that a man employed a fake check to obtain $865K in markers, which he swiftly lost this week while gambling at Las Vegas’s Aria Resort & Casino. 

Dharma Nadendla, a 41-year-old from North Carolina, visited the cashier's cage at a Las Vegas Strip property on Tuesday, presenting a credit union check for $380,000. He subsequently obtained $865K in casino chips from the cashier's counter. 

Ndendla subsequently lost the markers, a type of credit awarded to players, amounting to $500K and $365K while engaging in table games at the Aria, as reported by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). 

Instead of giving up, he returned to his hotel room at the Aria and phoned the cashier’s cage to request yet another marker. 

At that moment, a wary staff member examined the check and noticed that the number printed at the top of the credit union check didn’t match the number at the bottom. Employees at the Aria called the credit union in North Carolina, which verified that the check was fake, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

The casino staff member instructed Nadendla to go to the casino floor to obtain another marker. However, when he approached the hotel elevator, LVMPD officers confronted him after being informed of the scheme by Aria staff. 

Nadendla faced charges for theft exceeding $100K, business burglary, and forgery, as reported by the Review-Journal. 

He posted bail and is set to appear in Las Vegas Justice Court on August 28. 

Texas Gambling Operation Searched 

Deputies in Harris County, Texas confiscated over $14,584 in cash along with multiple gambling devices in a recent operation targeting illegal gambling. 

Officers grew wary after hearing from locals that unlawful gambling occurred in the Houston game room. Undercover officers visited the undisclosed gaming establishment and verified that illegal gambling was occurring. 

Two staff members, Son Van Nguyen and Thanh Van Nguyen, faced charges for possessing gambling device paraphernalia. 

Officials emphasize that unlawful gambling may result in additional criminal activities, as reported by Houston TV station KRIV. 

Official Accused Following Alleged Betting 

Earlier this month, a public official from North Carolina was taken into custody for allegedly driving under the influence and gambling, according to authorities. 

Madison County Board of Elections Director Jacob Ray, age 30, faced charges for driving while impaired and gambling misdemeanors. 

He has hearings scheduled for August 27 and October 7 regarding the various allegations. 

The public learned of the arrest on July 18 through Madison County Board of Commissioners Chair Matt Wechtel, who stated he became aware of the DWI charge on July 14 and the gambling charge on July 16. 

Wechtel mentioned to the Asheville Citizen-Times, a local news source, that it was “concerning and very disappointing” to learn about the arrests through external sources rather than from individuals within the Board of Elections office. 

“As soon as the Board of Commissioners was able to confirm the accuracy of the charges, we strongly urged the Board of Elections to take swift and stringent disciplinary actions to ensure the credibility of the Madison County electoral process going forward,” Wechtel said in a statement.