Frenchman gets 9 months’ jail for cheating at RWS casino

SINGAPORE: A French national was sentenced to nine months’ jail on Monday for cheating at the casino of Resorts World Sentosa.

Reynald Georges Victor Lasnel, 63, pleaded guilty to two charges of cheating, involving S$13,400 of winnings.

Lasnel and two accomplices came up with a plan for ’past—posting’ bets, which means placing bets after the winning number is revealed.

On April 2 and 3 last year, another Frenchman Fabrice Thierry Laurent Michel allegedly placed bets with S$6,700 worth of gaming chips while Lasnel distracted the pit supervisor.

After that, Spaniard Lopez Pintado Jose allegedly collected the winning payouts.

Following a tip—off from a patron, the surveillance shift manager of the casino reviewed the closed—circuit television footage and uncovered the scam.

The three were arrested and charged in court.

They managed to flee Singapore while on court bail despite having their passports impounded.

With help from the German authorities and INTERPOL, Lasnel was arrested at the Frankfurt airport in Germany and was extradited back to Singapore on September 11, 2012.

In a mitigation letter to the judge, Lasnel pleaded for leniency.

He said that his two daughters, aged 16 and 19 years, are depending on him to take care of them as his wife died five years ago.

He also said that he is a "weak, tired and sick old man" who had undergone two operations.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ma Hanfeng argued for a severe sentence as deterrence.

He highlighted aggravating factors, including pre—meditation and planning involved in the scam and pointed out that Lasnel had absconded while on bail.

Lasnel will start serving his sentence on September 17.

The other two alleged accomplices are still at large.

— CNA/fa