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Casinos must wait for $800,000

Rezko, accused of bad gambling debt, facing federal charges

Strip casinos alleging convicted political fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko owes them money will have to wait in line.

Rezko owes approximately $800,000 to Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Bally's for unpaid gambling debts accumulated between February 2006 and January 2007, according to court filings and the local district attorney's office.

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  • Rezko is facing a federal prison sentence after a conviction in June on 16 charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, attempted extortion and money laundering in a political corruption case in Chicago.

    A federal trial is scheduled to begin next year on charges he swindled General Electric Capital Corp. out of $10 million in the sale of Papa John's Pizza stores in Chicago and Milwaukee.

    The casinos and local authorities, however, will need to wait until the jurisdiction that has custody of Rezko finishes its legal proceedings before they can take legal action on the gambling debts, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said.

    "We have to wait until the federal authorities are finished with their prosecution of him before extraditing him back to Nevada," Roger said.

    The wait could be lengthy.

    Some of the charges Rezko was convicted of carry a maximum of 20 years.

    The Associated Press reported Monday that Rezko and his attorneys might be meeting with federal prosecutors seeking information about possible wrongdoing in the Illinois governor's office in exchange for a reduced sentence.

    Las Vegas Justice Court issued arrest warrants in May for the 53-year-old Rezko, seeking $472,275, plus fees, owed Caesars and Bally's. Bellagio also has been pursuing a civil case against Rezko for $331,000, plus fees, through the Clark County District Courts. A summary judgment against Rezko was issued in May 2007.

    A spokesman for MGM Mirage, owner of the Bellagio, declined to comment.

    There are some procedures that would allow local authorities to bring Rezko to Nevada sooner, according to Roger, but that would have to wait until he is in prison. The district attorney could also issue a detainer that would give Clark County custody of Rezko upon his release from prison.

    Rezko's attorneys contacted the district attorney's office a few months ago, Roger said, but "we require full restitution so we weren't able to negotiate with them."

    Attorneys for Rezko did not answer an e-mail inquiry Tuesday.

    Rezko is a former real estate developer who raised funds for many prominent Illinois politicians, including the state's current governor and Sen. Barack Obama.

    The money Rezko raised for Obama was when the presidential candidate was running for office in Illinois. Obama has donated $159,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity.

    Rezko raised more than $1 million for current Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose administration is under investigation for corruption.

    Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.



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    dano wrote on October 03, 2008 01:16 PM: Big Deal, Antoin "Tony" Rezko lost the chips from those markers while gaming at these same Casinos. Their money never left the properties.


    Rotten wrote on October 02, 2008 12:54 PM: 2Zero,

    In case you just woke up, Ken Lay has been Lay-in in a casket since July 5th, 2006. Died of a heart attack.

    If you need to dig up dead, decaying bodies, to defend Obama's Gang of Recent Criminal Associations, then you better start digging some more holes for the Thugs he chooses to surround himself with.

    I don't remember ANY Democratic disasters in the last couple of years, so I guess you got me. OUCH!

    Quoting scripture in the R.J.?
    BLASPHAMY!!!! Demon Seed.
    Now who's out of line, you DemoCRAP?


    Ugly American wrote on October 02, 2008 12:44 PM: re Ken - Do more research.

    It was Prescott Bush (W's grandfather) who represented Hitler in the US and arranged his loans from the Federal Reserve Banks. He was also charged and brought before Congress for plotting to suspend the US Constitution.

    "Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective—a New World Order—can emerge" - George Bush (W's dad) to a joint session of Congress on 9/11 a decade before the terrorist attacks.


    TW wrote on October 02, 2008 11:34 AM: Should be agianst the law for casinos to laon money any way.

    And while we're at it make them remove the ATM machines


    Rizzo wrote on October 02, 2008 10:33 AM: Yep, just keep waiting. Do you really think this bum will pay up his gambling debt? Ha! Ha! Wow.


    hilobamacaine wrote on October 02, 2008 10:29 AM: he borrowed $20.00 from me to tip the valet,bring him back!!


    Ken wrote on October 02, 2008 09:02 AM: The casinos should stop wasting their time.

    Obama will pardon Rezko and if the casinos keep carping about it, he will send in his brownshirts to deal with them.

    It's a new world order, folks.


    Rodman wrote on October 02, 2008 07:38 AM: Lets see if I understand this correctly. This guy Rezko owes the casinos $800,000 because they loaned a credit risk the money and he lost. This looks to be just another phase of the sub-prime mess. Now, Rezko has 16 federal charges against him for other out of state charges which could mean a lot of Bubba Time. Next,the casinos file charges and the self proclaimed over worked LV court systems issues warrents for his arrest. Enter the DA who says, " there are some procedures that would allow local authorities to bring Rezko to Nevada sooner." Looks like the DA is willing to continue to be the casinos (remember they are the ones who made these poor loans) collection agency. Seems to me that it would be more beneficial for Nevada to let Rezko serve his entire sentence(s) in Illinois or where ever rather then bring him back early, as the DA purposes, thus being faced with the many costs of incarceration, costs of a trial,and the probability of having to pay for his defense. Of course, if he doesn't come back early, the casinos wouldn't recoup their loses for their poor sub-prime judgement, BUT an over burdened city legal system would save thousands and thousands of dollars and court time. Looks like a no brainer as to what should be done.


    KARMA wrote on October 02, 2008 06:43 AM: What you do comes back to bite you in the _ss.
    Casinos took a BAD BET!
    And lost it sofar.


    2zero wrote on October 02, 2008 06:37 AM: My friend Rotten, time to get out of line.

    Remember Ken Lay? Ken Lay of Enron and "my friends" of the GOP.

    $$$ 10 trillion reasons not to vote for any republican.....

    Proverbs 28:8


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