Lakewood Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Cheating Casino

A Lakewood man found guilty of cheating the Horseshoe Casino has been sentenced to two years of probation.

Philip Koch, 55, of Edgewater Drive, pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. And last week, he was sentenced to two years of probation.

Another Lakewood resident facing the same charge wasn’t so lucky.

Nidal Abuaun, 50, of Orchard Avenue, didn’t show up for sentencing in September because he was hospitalized at Lakewood Hospital, according to court records.

When Abuaun appeared in court on Oct. 23, Judge John O’Donnell sentenced him to six months in prison at the Lorain Correctional Institute with three years of probation when he is released.

Maria Russo, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, told Lakewood Patch earlier this year that the men “capped their bets” — made a bet after the cards were dealt. 

Abuaun was playing Texas Hold 'Em, and Koch was playing Black Jack, said Russo.

Five others — four men from Cleveland and one from Akron — were also indicted for cheating at the casino.

“Ohio now has statutes in place to address crimes committed in the new casinos,” said prosecutor Bill Mason in a statement. “My office will continue to prosecute these crimes as we would any other crime in our county.”