Five Charged With Rigging Video Gambling Machines At Harrah’s

JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) — The former schools superintendent in LaPorte, Indiana is facing charges, along with his wife, of rigging video gambling machines at Harrah’s casino in Joliet, reports WBBM’s Mike Krauser.

According to prosecutors, Randy Thorpe and his wife Virginia manipulated video keno machines at Harrah’s so they paid five times the actual winnings.

Three alleged accomplices, Svetoslav Dorobanov, Randy Binnings and Paul Jovenich, are also being sought.
The Thorpes, now living in Corpus Christ, Texas, are charged with burglary, computer tampering and cheating t a gambling game.

It is not clear exactly how they allegedly manipulated the machines, presumably because authorities want to prevent someone else from doing the same thing.

Thorpe was arrested for the same crime at another Harrah’s Casino in Mississippi in January when he abruptly resigned as the schools superintendent in LaPorte saying he wanted to spend more time with family and hinting at health issues.

Both he and his wife are free on bond.