A robbery of a security department safety device at a tribal gaming holding has led to a 16-year condemn for a Mississippi man. The offense is also fastened to the shooting of a local police officer, which is a separate case.
William Christopher Belk, 33, of Quitman was presumption the condemn on Friday, according to Acting US Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi.
The incident took position on July 9, 2020 when Belk allegedly displayed a handgun at the Bok Homa Casino situated on the Chahta Amerind Reservation.
Belk allegedly aimed the small-arm at the protection officer. He so allegedly stole items from the officer.
After fleeing, Belk allegedly stole a vehicle from the casino.
Allegedly Shoots Police Officer
A unforesightful time later, a Sandersville police force officer saw the vehicle and tried to stop Belk at a gas station.
Belk allegedly stab the officer, identified as Miguel Grimaldo, in the gird and face, according to WDAM, a local TV station. The ship's officer was injured.
Belk and so fled inward the vehicle. Later, Arthur Stanley Jefferson Laurel police officers saw the vehicle. Cops chased the railroad car until the pursual ended nigh a local Walmart.
Belk was apprehended. He was supercharged with assault on a constabulary officer.
That bursting charge is believed to follow relieve pending in Magnolia State state court.
Grimaldo was treated at a local hospital. He was workings part-time as an ship's officer for the Sandersville Police Department when he was shot, WDAM said. He worked full-time as a lieutenant for the Mary Harris Jones County Sheriff’s office.
As far as the robbery charge, last-place August a federal grand panel indicted Belk. He was supercharged with robbery, employ of a piece during a crime of violence, and theft from an Amerind gaming establishment.
In February, Belk pleaded shamefaced to the robbery and the utilize of a firearm during a offence of violence charges.
Prior Magnolia State Casino Crime
In March, inwards an unrelated incident, a 31-year-old former employee of Mississippi’s Pearl River Resort Silver Star Casino was sentenced to prison for iii years followed by supervised waiver for allegedly stealing cash in from the gaming property.
Darren Nickey allegedly stole over $18,000 from the casino. Nickey in agreement(p) to the sentence after getting charged with theft by an employee of a gaming ecesis on Amerindic lands. Nickey must also compensate $18,340 inward restitution below the sentencing agreement.
LaMarca explained inward a statement that Nickey was ab initio found to have embezzled o'er $1,000 on apiece of trio occurrences in 2016 from hard currency recyclers in the casino.
Nickey worked as a cashier inward a hive away at the casino complex. He had access to a hard currency recycler in dictate to carry his immediate payment registry with currency. Nickey allegedly used log-in passwords from coworkers to pelt the immediate payment thefts.
Officials conducted an additional investigation and found that Nickey allegedly stole a summate of $18,340. There were o'er 40 withdrawals.
Nickey was indicted on Dec. 12, 2018. He pled shamefaced on Feb. 19, 2019.