Casino Workers Allegedly Misused Surveillance Cams

September 27, 2005 -- Casino employees accused of using the wandering eyes of hidden cameras to violate women's privacy, faced a hearing in Atlantic City Tuesday.

The surveillance camera operators allegedly used the cameras to scope out more than cheats. Instead, they're accused of zeroing in on specific body parts of female gamblers and employees.

Theresa Magri was bar tending at Caesars when she would later learn that surveillance cameras zeroed in certain parts of her body.

Magri's case is not an isolated one. Investigators for the Division of Gaming Enforcement told the Casino Control Commission that 4 Caesars security camera operators spent some 186 minutes over a period of time training the eye in the sky cameras on selected parts of the anatomy of hundreds of women instead of searching the casino floor for cheaters and protecting patrons. Magri's attorney says the cameras were turned into a peep show.

The 4 camera operators are Robert Swan, James Doherty, John Paul Aramudo and Donald Smith, who was not present today, are charged along with Caesars with violating the regulations of the Casino Control Commission. They no longer work for Caesars and the casino has agreed to pay a 185 thousand dollar fine.

Earlier this Harrah's Entertainment bought Caesars and today issued a statement saying that Harrah's has zero tolerance for behavior that occurred in October 2004. This is the 2nd time Caesars has been punished for this kind of conduct by camera operators. In 2001, it paid a 95 thousand dollar fine and it is the only casino in A.C. that has faced these charges. Meanwhile the Casino Control Commission must now decide whether the surveillance tapes may be made public.

(Copyright 2005 by Action News. All Rights Reserved.)

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