Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:25:46 GMT (1686443146324)
Gambler who lost 500k at Downtown Grand had money in the bank
Gambler who lost 500K in Vegas had questionable finances
0
LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) - The gambler accusing the Downtown Grand of pumping him with alcohol and letting him borrow $500,000 may not have been rolling as high as his gambling made it seem.
Mark Johnston had a warrant issued for his arrest last month after failing to show up to answer to charges of check fraud. Those checks were written to the Downtown Grand to borrow half a million dollars from the casino.
Johnston's former attorney Sean Lyttle told the judge at the time it had been months since he heard from his then client.
"I've also made inquiries to his family members which have gone unreturned. Frankly I have no idea what's going on with him," Lyttle told the court in June.
Lyttle was also representing Johnston in a civil suit against the casino but has withdrawn from that case. Leaving Johnston unrepresented. Johnston claims he was so drunk the casino should not have let him gamble, let alone borrow half a million bucks.
"They served me all the drinks, they should have cut me off," Johnston said in a previous interview.
In court records just released News 3 gets an inside look at Johnston's finances. A Wells Fargo statement from February 2014, the same month he lost the cash, showed his balance was $5907.93. He owed the Downtown Grand about a hundred times that amount.
Johnston also argued the Downtown Grand violated Nevada gaming laws because he claims they let a drunk man gamble. Court transcripts show the director of the Downtown Grand's cage and credit testified the Gaming Control Board conducted an investigation into the incident but has not found any wrongdoing.
If he's found, Johnston could be thrown in jail to answer for felony charges of writing bad checks. Although Johnston's civil case against the Downtown Grand is now in question one thing is for sure, the casino itself is still moving forward with its counter-suit to recover the cash.
Mark Johnston had a warrant issued for his arrest last month after failing to show up to answer to charges of check fraud. Those checks were written to the Downtown Grand to borrow half a million dollars from the casino.
Johnston's former attorney Sean Lyttle told the judge at the time it had been months since he heard from his then client.
"I've also made inquiries to his family members which have gone unreturned. Frankly I have no idea what's going on with him," Lyttle told the court in June.
Lyttle was also representing Johnston in a civil suit against the casino but has withdrawn from that case. Leaving Johnston unrepresented. Johnston claims he was so drunk the casino should not have let him gamble, let alone borrow half a million bucks.
"They served me all the drinks, they should have cut me off," Johnston said in a previous interview.
In court records just released News 3 gets an inside look at Johnston's finances. A Wells Fargo statement from February 2014, the same month he lost the cash, showed his balance was $5907.93. He owed the Downtown Grand about a hundred times that amount.
Johnston also argued the Downtown Grand violated Nevada gaming laws because he claims they let a drunk man gamble. Court transcripts show the director of the Downtown Grand's cage and credit testified the Gaming Control Board conducted an investigation into the incident but has not found any wrongdoing.
If he's found, Johnston could be thrown in jail to answer for felony charges of writing bad checks. Although Johnston's civil case against the Downtown Grand is now in question one thing is for sure, the casino itself is still moving forward with its counter-suit to recover the cash.
Loading ...
