Joe Ofahengaue facing criminal charges

[Unbreakable]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...k=54a6b2426c4340a486ef683d136ba656-1493320506

BRONCOS forward Joe Ofahengaue has fallen foul of the law again after being caught up in a casino cheating controversy.
Ofahengaue, who played against the Panthers at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night, is due to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday on a charge of cheating by fraudulent act, practice or scheme.
The charge is understood to be related to an incident at a blackjack table at a casino.
Ofahengaue is not expected to appear in court in person.
Broncos CEO Paul White confirmed Ofahengaue had alerted the club to the matter.
“The club is aware of the matter and has notified the NRL Integrity Unit about it,” White said.
“We will allow due course to run and then determine if any further action is to be taken.”
Ofahengaue, 21, was a member of Brisbane’s 2015 NRL grand final team which lost to the Cowboys.
The nephew of ex-Wallabies player Willie Ofahengaue, he was dropped from the NRL midway through last season by coach Wayne Bennett.
He only returned to the Broncos NRL team a fortnight ago after spending the early part of the season playing reserve grade.
Ofahengaue, a Tongan Test player, appeared in court last September to plead guilty to a charge of driving unlicensed and was fined $250.
Ofahengaue told The Courier Mail this week he battled mental demons after being dropped last season.
“It was some stupid stuff I was going through in my head and at home,” Ofahengaue said.
“I went and had a chat to (Bennett) and told him what I was going through and how I felt about it. We settled it out last year.
“Hopefully I can restart again in my short career.
“As a player I have matured a little bit. What I forgot is I had age on my side.
“I have dealt with everything I was going through.”

 

[Nashy]

Big dumb footballers are never going to cheat a casino. Casinos are experts at this shit. What an idiot.

 

[winslow_wong]

He watched a card counting video on YouTube I bet.

 

[gordjw]

Card counting should not be illegal. If you're smart enough to do it, then go for it.
Casinos should be allowed to put it in the conditions of entry (so they can remove you if caught), but having it be a criminal charge? **** them.

 

[M.B.88]

Card counting should not be illegal. If you're smart enough to do it, then go for it.
Casinos should be allowed to put it in the conditions of entry (so they can remove you if caught), but having it be a criminal charge? **** them.

Exactly. It's fair game I think.. Knowing the odds the best you can is the key to betting. So long as you're not secretly communicating with other punters..

 

[Morkel]

Exactly. It's fair game I think.. Knowing the odds the best you can is the key to betting. So long as you're not secretly communicating with other punters..

Yeah it's the latter that crosses the line. Everything else is just odds and probability.

Casinos can get fucked though.

 

[tommy]

I'm pretty sure card counting isn't illegal. You will be removed and banned if found out but I'm thinking it would be impossible to make illegal.

 

[mitch222]

This might be the final nail in the coffin for his broncos career

 

[Super Freak]

The fact that the Broncos haven't dropped him says to me that it's a small issue.

We'll find out.

 

[Foordy]

The fact that the Broncos haven't dropped him says to me that it's a small issue.

We'll find out.

Paul White said that they are waiting for the matter to run it's course before deciding whether further action is required

 

[The EYE-BALL Opinion]

...'on a charge of cheating by fraudulent act, practice or scheme'...

This appears to be an over reach by the Casino if it relates to card counting. Card counting is banned by most Casinos, but criminal activity it is not. Unless there is collusion there is no 'practice or scheme' ... this makes the charge about something else - why would the Casino risk bad media coverage over a Bronco player being charged? More to this than has been exposed.

 

[OXY-351]

says to me that it's a small issue.

Not the first time a Broncos player has had a wee issue at the blackjack table.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Not the first time a Broncos player has had a wee issue at the blackjack table.

Surely, you're taking the piss?

 

[1910]

He tried to sneak a $100 chip onto a winning bet.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

He tried to sneak a $100 chip onto a winning bet.

Stupid but hardly sackable, I would think think.

 

[Super Freak]

BRONCOS player Joe Ofahengaue was caught cheating after casino security reviewed footage of him winning a hand of poker and noticed him slip a $100 chip underneath the $15 he already had on the table.

The details of the bizarre incident were aired in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday morning, after Ofahengaue pleaded guilty in writing to one charge of cheating by fraudulent act or scheme.

Police prosecutor Sen Const Wade Domagala said Ofahengaue was at the Treasury Casino about 5.45am on April 8 when he won the hand of poker and slipped “a $100 chip under the $15 chip”.

He said the dealer did not see the sleight of hand, but when security reviewed the footage the ruse was apparent.

“The defendant returned the money after being challenged by security and left the area,” Sen Const Domagala said.

The court was told Ofahengaue returned later in the day and gave security his name and address.

On April 12, he made admissions to police and was charged.

Ofahengaue did not give a reason why he could not appear personally to face the charge, as his written plea simply said he was “unable to attend court on the day mentioned”.

Magistrate John McGrath read the written plea of guilty to the court and said there was “no further information”.

Mr McGrath said the offence was a “calculated act”, but to Ofahengaue’s credit he returned the money and left when challenged.

He fined the Broncos player $400 and did not record a conviction.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...y/news-story/85e01ad770e8015f01469c61f7735cb3

 

[Kimlo]

lol, not even news worthy.

 

[cakeGG]

Ridiculous. Wonder how the Sydney media will spin it.

That said I remember watching a doco about Las Vegas casinos and how if u kept on winning, you would either get booted out by security or just get flat out arrested.

You are not allowed to beat the casino.