Las Vegas Casino boss protests sentencing of son, workers

There are more details coming from the Mexican press in Chetumal on the sentencing of three Belizeans and one US national in connection with the July thirteenth, 2008 incident that started at the Las Vegas Casino at the northern border and ended with their arrest when the group entered Mexico. According to press reports today, the group is yet to be informed of the sentences they received for attempted murder and a charge of introducing into Mexico, firearms exclusive to the Military. Justice Adolfo Eduardo Ruiz, on Monday at a Federal Court in Chetumal, handed a ten year and six month sentence to the casino co-owner, George Hardie Junior. A similar sentence was also meted out to casino employees Abner Gomez and Curlin Thompson. Another employee, Martin Miller, was sentenced to seven years and the firearm charge was withdrawn. The newspaper, Periodistas de Quintano Roo says that the four have not yet been notified because they have five days to appeal. Another report in the newspaper, Por Esto, says that the Belizean and the US national will have no privileges and will have to serve their full sentence. Two Mexican nations were injured in the casino incident Edwin Navarro Meneses and Luis Felipe Rosado Navarro. Late this evening News 5 obtained a copy of a letter from George Hardie senior, the owner of the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, saying that they will appeal the harsh sentences immediately. In the letter dated June third, quote “The judges sentencing on a charge of attempted murder and possession of a firearm is based solely on a very limited circumstantial and totally unsubstantiated evidence.” unquote According to Hardie senior, the only rationale for the ruling was done under quote “Political pressure.”