Boyd Gaming board member resigns amid felony immigration charges - Business

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Jul. 18, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Boyd Gaming board member resigns amid felony immigration charges

By HOWARD STUTZ
REVIEW-JOURNAL

A member of the Boyd Gaming Corp. board of directors resigned from his position with the casino operator last week, six days before his own privately held company pleaded guilty in federal court to felony immigration charges.

Luther Mack, a five-year member of Boyd Gaming's board, owns 11 Northern Nevada McDonald's restaurants through his privately held Mack Associates. Mack had also been a 14-year member of the Nevada Athletic Commission, serving for a time as chairman.

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Boyd Gaming spokesman Rob Stillwell said the company did not have any official comment on Mack. The company announced Mack's departure in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday that also included changes to some of Boyd's corporate bylaws dealing with shareholder rights.

Stillwell said the company still had six outside board members and five company insiders, so Mack would not have to be replaced.

If Mack hadn't resigned, the company could have faced gaming regulatory issues.

"With his resignation, we would view this matter as closed relative to Boyd," Gaming Control Board member Mark Clayton said Thursday.

Mack's company pleaded guilty as a corporation to two felony charges including conspiracy and aiding and abetting, and agreed to pay $1 million in fines.

The case stems from the arrests last September of 56 people in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids at restaurants in Reno, Sparks and Fernley, and at franchise offices in Reno.

Mack Associates directors Joe Gillespie of Sparks and former Vice President Jimmy Moore pleaded guilty in federal court in Las Vegas to one charge each.

Authorities accused the company of employing illegal immigrants by giving them names and Social Security numbers belonging to others.

In addition to his duties with Boyd Gaming, Mack had served on the Washoe County Airport Authority board and was chairman of the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation. Mack was also of member of Gov. Jim Gibbons' transition team and is president and owner of KRXI-TV in Reno.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. Report abuse Jason wrote on August 06, 2008 03:13 PM: My friend david snow the hero of the feb-07 orleans accident. Was suspiciously hit by a car on his motorcycle. and is again in the sunrise hospital trama ward awaiting surgery. He was listed in critical condition and may lose his spleen,kidney and his leg. And his hand was completly smashed. It would not be beyong the multi million dollar casino complex to kill disidents who threaten there establishments. If you could please look into this I would be so gratefull. without you reporters we would not have anyone fighting for justice !!! Thank you. Report abuse mark wrote on July 18, 2008 08:02 PM: How is this guy related to the Reno wife killer? Report abuse debbie kelly wrote on July 18, 2008 03:45 PM: May this be only the first of the downfall of each and every Boyd Gaming Corporation Board of Directors member as well as "management". May the force take you all down! Report abuse Getta Clue wrote on July 18, 2008 01:59 PM: Lots of illegals in the major casinos - When the lion roars, the illegals come to work. Report abuse hilobomacaine wrote on July 18, 2008 12:54 PM: finaly,million dollar fines will be what it takes to get these employers attention, the excuse is everybody else is using illegals so i have to also to compete ok so here is your million dollar fine compete with that!! Report abuse Joe C wrote on July 18, 2008 10:55 AM: Actually from labor racketeering to conspiracy in ID fraud you would think this scumbag would be facing at least ten years in jail and profits from all his crimes confiscated. Hopefully the casinos that hire large number of illegals with fake ID’s get the message and ICE starts raiding them. Report abuse homeless in Las Vegas wrote on July 18, 2008 08:14 AM: How the rich get richer. By screwing the worker. If hiring illegals is what it takes to pay the lowest wage possible, so be it. This scumbag should be boycotted by all and forced him into bankruptcy. Report abuse 0u812 wrote on July 18, 2008 06:53 AM: Made millions off of all illegals. those illegals ought too sue him for all back and overtime pay. Bend over here caomes daddy rich.