A bomb threat was foiled by local police after a gambler threatened to “destroy” a Harrah’s casino following a $20,000 loss.
On January 5 around 9:50 p.m., an emergency call threatened a bombing at Harrah’s Casino in Stateline, Nevada. Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office were quickly dispatched to the scene.
“Yeah, I just lost over $20,000 at your stupid casino and I’m going to destroy it now,” the caller said, according to a report from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m going to bomb it. It’s a bomb threat.”
The caller was identified as Seth Maybee of South Lake Tahoe, and an investigation led deputies to Maybee’s home in South Lake Tahoe. He was arrested by South Lake Tahoe police on Jan. 6, shortly before 2 a.m. He has since been charged with making a bomb threat and making terroristic threats, which could land him a felony. If convicted, the sentence for these charges could see Maybee receive between two and 15 years in prison, up to $15,000 in fines, and possible restitution for all costs associated with the threat, including emergency response.
“I would like to thank Harrah’s Casino for their prompt reporting of this incident and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for their assistance in the arrest of Maybee,” said Sheriff Dan Coverley of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. “Due to the history of the bombing of Harvey’s in the early 1980s, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Stateline Casinos take these threats very seriously. Fortunately, we were able to make an arrest before anything happened.”
Harrah’s casino bomb threat evoked fears from the past
The 1980s incident that Coverley referenced in his statement was the Harvey’s Resort hotel bombing that took place August 26-27, 1980 in Stateline, Nevada. An elaborate bomb was planted in a $3 million extortion attempt, using one of the most complex improvised explosive devices (IEDs) the FBI has ever encountered.
The damage was estimated at $18 million, but fortunately there were no casualties. The perpetrator was eventually identified as John Birges Sr, a Hungarian immigrant and high roller who had lost a significant amount of money at the casino. He was later arrested and sentenced to life without parole.
A bomb threat with similar motivations also took place in Singapore in September last year.
Featured Image: South Lake Tahoe Police Department
The position Bomb threat at Harrah’s casino in Nevada after player loses $20,000 appeared first on ReadWrite.
