Group charged with stealing $700k from casino

Prosecutors charged six people last month in a scheme that took $700,000 from the baccarat tables at the Hard Rock Casino in Gary.

Honghui Wu, 44, Qingyong Zhang, 57, Fuxiang Liu, 51, Jainchu Liu, 45, Yuhan Wu, and Daiqi Wang are each facing various charges that include theft and cheating at gaming between August and September 2023.

Authorities allege in May 30 filings that they stole at least $1.5 million from casinos around the country, mainly by taking advantage of inexperienced or “weak” dealers.

Hard Rock reported it recovered $268,000 of its $700,000 winnings before it was handed out.

Investigators allege various members may have targeted casinos in California, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Illinois.

Jainchu was arrested in March by agents at O’Hare Airport in Chicago before he boarded a flight to China. He denied involvement.

The group allegedly stole $300,000 each from casinos in St. Charles, Missouri and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. They also stole $90,000 from the Bally’s Casino in Chicago, records note. Officials from the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond were also examining any potential links.

Woman indicted in child porn case

Federal prosecutors indicted Alicia Cruz Silva last month with nine counts of distribution of child pornography in the U.S. District Court in Hammond from January 2025, filings show.

The indictment appears to accuse her of getting a minor to send explicit videos.

A trial date is currently scheduled for November.

Merrillville man charged with child porn

A Merrillville man faces several child porn charges.

Raymond Paz, 72, was charged June 11 with 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

He posted a $10,000 cash bond Tuesday. His next hearing is June 20.

Indiana State Police were tipped off by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a release.

Investigators traced the IP address to Paz’s computer.

Police seized “multiple devices” in June that had child pornography.

Charges dismissed in ’16 Dyer attack

Lake County Prosecutors filed to dismiss a case in a February 2016 Dyer attack after the victim no longer wanted to pursue it, filings show.

Shaun Edward Goetz, 34, of Cedar Lake, was charged with aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury and two additional battery counts.

A Dyer man suffered a traumatic brain injury, memory loss, seizures and a deformed skull.

In August 2016, the victim told police when he opened the door, Goetz hit him in the head with an unknown object. Back then, Goetz started dating the victim’s ex-girlfriend.

E.C. man faces just over a year in ‘19 shooting

An East Chicago man faces 490 days for shooting a man in the leg in a falling out with his mom.

Jimmy Hagan, 31, pleaded guilty June 10 to battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony. His sentencing is July 1.

The shooting happened Nov. 4, 2019, on the 200 block of Highland Street in Hammond, court documents state.

Lafayette man gets split sentence for attack

A Lafayette man got a split 5-year term June 12 for attacking his former girlfriend.

Marcel Phillips, 34, pleaded guilty to domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony.

Judge Gina Jones sentenced him to 353 days in jail and the rest of his sentence on probation, court filings show.

Court documents allege Phillips climbed through a window on April 28, 2023, and strangled a woman from behind until she passed out.

When she woke up, she was lying in the bathtub and Phillips was still yelling at her.

— Meredith Colias-Pete