Gamblers Jailed for Baccarat Scam

An Australian citizen and four Chinese nationals received their court sentence on November 23, 2006, for involvement in a $750,000 Baccarat fraud in Brisbane, Australia.

The four Chinese men were identified as Jianwen Liu, 40, Haibin Shao, 40, Songtao Zhao, 35, and Zhigang Liu, 35, while the Australian citizen that resides in China has been identified as Wei Shan Liu, 43.

The District Court jury in Brisbane found them guilty of committing fraud in relation to a baccarat game on May 17, 2005.

Judge John McGill sentenced the four Chinese men, who have already served eighteen months on remand, to four years in jail. The recommendation date for parole has not been set.

Based on Queensland law, they can apply for parole after serving half of the sentence. Once approved for parole, they will be deported at once to China.

In the case of Wei Shan Liu who has been released on bail for eighteen months already on the condition that she would not leave, she received a three year imprisonment. The date of her parole is scheduled for eighteen months.

The fraud took place at Jupiter's Casino on the Gold Coast during a game at the mini baccarat table in the For Members Only section of Club Conrad.

A genuine card was stolen by Zhao to manipulate the result of the game. Due to manipulation tactics, the group won over $700,000, but the casino decided to stop the transfer of $400,000 to the account of Wei Shan Liu.

A senior casino surveillance officer found the fraud while monitoring the mini baccarat through a surveillance camera.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Kate Foster