A Valley Forge Casino Resort Spanish 21 dealer and his Philadelphia acquaintance are now facing criminal charges in connection with a scheme to launder counterfeit cash at the Pennsylvania casino last fall.
Long Vu Tong, 34, of Souderton, and Lieu Khang David Bui, 21, of Philadelphia, are charged with theft by deception, criminal conspiracy, and forgery.
According to the Norristown, Pennsylvania Times Herald, arrest records show the charges stem from the pair’s involvement in the exchange of $4,000 in counterfeit bills for casino chips and ultimately legal tender on the casino floor in November 2017.
The counterfeit scheme
Bui allegedly entered the casino just after 7 p.m. local time on Nov. 7, 2017, and went straight to the Spanish 21 table where Tong was dealing.
Bui allegedly cashed in what appeared to be $2,500 for casino chips. He played briefly before taking the chips with him to a Roulette table. A few minutes later, he allegedly returned to Tong’s Spanish 21 table. He cashed in what appeared to be another $1,500 for casino chips. He seemed to play a little while longer before taking all his chips to the casino cage and exchanging them for cash.
Tong dropped all the bills into the table’s drop box in accordance with casino procedure. Casino cash counters later found the bills and suspected they were counterfeit. Apparently, embedded fibers were missing. Moreover, the bills were printed on something other than genuine U.S. currency paper. On Nov. 21, 2017, the casino cash counters’ suspicions were confirmed by a Secret Service Agent. The agent determined the bills were indeed counterfeit.
Dealer rolls
A week later, state troopers paid a visit to Valley Forge and interviewed Tong over the course of two days.
According to an affidavit, Tong first said Bui was just a passing acquaintance of his. However, he allegedly admitted later he got a call from Bui on Nov. 7 telling him of his intentions to pass the counterfeit bills. Tong told the state troopers he thought Bui was joking. However, he let it slide even when it became clear it was no joke.
Tong told investigators he later drove Bui to the nearby King of Prussia Mall, cursing and telling him off for passing the phony money. Tong claims Bui offered him a cut of the proceeds, but he refused to take it.
Preliminary hearings for both are now scheduled to begin March 7.
Valley Forge Casino Resort
Valley Forge Casino Resort is a Greater Philadelphia-area casino and hotel less than a mile from Valley Forge National Historical Park and just two miles from the King of Prussia Mall, the largest shopping mall in the United States.
The casino features 600 slot machines and 50 table games. The games include:
- Blackjack
- Craps
- Roulette
- Pai Gow Poker
- Baccarat
- Spanish 21
Valley Forge Casino Resort opened on March 31, 2012, as the state’s 11th casino. It was the first Category 3 casino resort in the state. Category 3 casino resorts are permitted to operate hotel and resort facilities on the property. However, there are limits to the number of table games and slots they can host on the casino floor.
At first, Category 3 casinos also required anyone gambling in the casino to spend at least $10 on resort amenities or purchase a membership. Valley Forge Casino Resort paid the state a one-time $1 million fee to remove the amenity fee provision last year.
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