Post by Logan on Dec 30, 2016 5:14:24 GMT -6
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli threatened to cut some of his office's support of the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem if it refuses to honor a $10 million agreement it made with Lehigh Valley governments.
A Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling this year placed a key gaming law in limbo, endangering the $10 million the state's casinos pay to their host communities. While many of the state's gambling halls said they will honor their agreements even if a new law isn't on the books by April, Sands has avoided any such promises. Instead, Sands' officials have taken a wait-and-see approach.
But Morganelli said Tuesday that if the casino won't pay the $10 million host fee, he will no longer pursue charges against those who steal from the casino with bad checks, or who use sleight of hand to pocket poker chips illegally. Casinos' sharing proceeds with host communities was a key factor when Bethlehem and Northampton and Lehigh counties agreed to welcome the Sands to the former Bethlehem Steel campus in south Bethlehem.
"I would not in good conscience be able to justify the use of my limited resources to help a profitable billion-dollar corporation while the Sands maintains the position they are an island unto themselves," Morganelli said in a news release.
Read more: www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-morganelli-sands-crime-standoff-20161227-story.html
A Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling this year placed a key gaming law in limbo, endangering the $10 million the state's casinos pay to their host communities. While many of the state's gambling halls said they will honor their agreements even if a new law isn't on the books by April, Sands has avoided any such promises. Instead, Sands' officials have taken a wait-and-see approach.
But Morganelli said Tuesday that if the casino won't pay the $10 million host fee, he will no longer pursue charges against those who steal from the casino with bad checks, or who use sleight of hand to pocket poker chips illegally. Casinos' sharing proceeds with host communities was a key factor when Bethlehem and Northampton and Lehigh counties agreed to welcome the Sands to the former Bethlehem Steel campus in south Bethlehem.
"I would not in good conscience be able to justify the use of my limited resources to help a profitable billion-dollar corporation while the Sands maintains the position they are an island unto themselves," Morganelli said in a news release.
Read more: www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-morganelli-sands-crime-standoff-20161227-story.html