Stalking, Robbery of Twin River Casino, R.I. Player Leads to Prison Sentence

Posted on: July 1, 2021, 09:52h. 

Last updated on: July 1, 2021, 12:45h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A Connecticut man is heading to prison for four years after he punched, knocked down, and robbed a 62-year-old player at Lincoln, R.I.’s Twin River Casino.

Snell must also pay $1,500 to the victim
Lincoln, R.I.’s Twin River Casino shown here. A robbery defendant was sentenced to four years in prison for a holdup at the casino. (Image: Twin River Casino)

The case dates back to 2019, when Isaiah Snell, 27, of Putnam, scoped out the victim on the gaming floor while he was counting a large amount of cash, police said.

Snell followed the man to the parking lot. He then told the man that he was carrying a gun, police said. Snell, however, never displayed a firearm. When the victim tried to flee, Snell assaulted him. The victim eventually handed over $1,500.

Snell then fled from the gaming property lot. Lincoln police were able to track Snell’s movements by viewing surveillance video.

Plea Deal Struck

Under a plea deal, Snell will spend four years in a Rhode Island state prison. In total, Snell was sentenced by Superior Court Justice Maureen B. Keough to eight years. But half of the sentence was suspended with probation.

Snell must also pay $1,500 to the victim. Under the plea deal, he also will undergo substance abuse counseling and cannot have contact with the victim.

He pleaded no contest to two charges last week in Providence Superior Court. These charges include the first-degree robbery of a person over 60 and assault on a person over 60 causing bodily injury.

Under Rhode Island state law, the penalties for assaulting a person 60 and over are increased, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a statement released after the sentencing.

Senior Robbed Earlier at Knifepoint

In a similar crime during 2020, a 69-year-old casino player was tailed by a bandit while inside Lincoln’s Twin River Casino. The robber followed the victim out to his car, which was left in a casino parking lot.

He was robbed at knifepoint while getting into the vehicle, according to police. A suspect was arrested a short time later. He was identified as Anthony McClain, 30.

The victim’s money, cell phone, and glasses were stolen during the holdup, police said.

Police in this instance also used surveillance video to track and identify the suspect. It was not immediately known how the court case against McClain turned out.