casinos

1 Charged, 2 Wanted After Men Stole $42K in MGM National Harbor Winnings

NBC Universal, Inc.

One man has been charged and two others are still sought after police say they attacked and robbed two men who won $42,000 at the MGM National Harbor casino.

Javontae Renard Smallwood, 27, of Southeast D.C., was charged Monday with armed robbery and aggravated malicious wounding. He already was in jail in Fairfax County on unrelated charges.

Prince William County police say they're searching for Tavon Everett Lee Vines, 27, of Northeast D.C., and Daquan Artis Tinker, 23, of Southeast D.C.

What began as a night of celebration took a violent turn.

Hours after two men won $42,000 playing blackjack at the MGM National Harbor casino, three masked men attacked and robbed them in Woodbridge, Virginia.

The men were pistol-whipped and one was shot and wounded, court documents say about the attack Dec. 19. A neighbor said Monday that she heard the attack and was afraid.

"I felt like I could be a victim," the woman said. She declined to give her name out of fear for her safety.

Her home surveillance camera captured the sound of yelling and a gunshot.

Court documents say the men won $42,000 playing blackjack, cashed out and left with the large amount. Little did they know, three men followed them from National Harbor, Maryland, to Woodbridge.

The three people robbed the two men and pistol-whipped one of them 20 times. One was shot and wounded in a grassy area nearby.

The victims survived, but the thieves made off with their winnings.

An MGM National Harbor representative declined to comment on the case but said that if you win at the casino, you can choose to get cash or an electronic deposit. Also, you can ask security to escort you to your car.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact police.

Contact Us