2 men charged for allegedly defrauding Hempfield Township casino out of nearly $15K

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two men are facing charges after they were allegedly involved in a casino card-making scheme in Hempfield Township.

The Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said three men were seen using indented cards to gamble and allegedly defraud Live! Casino on Aug. 2.

Casino employees saw the men gambling the day before. They believe they defrauded a total of around $14,270.

Pennsylvania State Police troopers said footage from the casino showed the men marking playing cards at a table. The men told investigators they marked the cards in order to help them profit from winning and pocketed thousands of dollars, the DA’s office said.

Bahri Sahpolat, of California, and Serdar Ozmen, of Maryland, were arrested and charged with theft and receiving stolen property and possession of a counterfeit/tampered/cheating of unauthorized devices. They were in possession of $12,175, which was turned back over to the casino, the DA’s office said.

Both men are housed to the Westmoreland County Prison without bail due to them being considered a flight risk.

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