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Casinos Bring Crime to Mississippi Delta

TUNICA, Mississippi – As reported by the Associated Press: "…A stretch of Mississippi Delta about a half-hour's drive from Memphis has quickly become the nation's third-largest gambling destination, bringing riches to a long-impoverished region once described by Jesse Jackson as `America's Ethiopia.' But that newfound wealth has also brought trouble.

"In a little more than a year, the 11 casinos along the Mississippi River have been hit with 25 robberies and attempted robberies, more than any other gambling spot in the country.

"Las Vegas, with 150 casinos, has had 14 robberies this year. Atlantic City, with 12 casinos, has had three. No heists have been reported in the past year at casinos on Mississippi's Gulf Coast or in neighboring Louisiana.

"So far, the Delta crime wave has cost casinos about $1.4 million, and investigators are looking into the possibility most of the robberies were orchestrated by local gangs with help from workers inside the casino.

"…And some gaming executives say former sheriff Jerry Ellington was slow to respond to the robberies, which peaked during his administration. Ellington was stripped of his duties in August following his indictment on federal and state charges that he took kickbacks from drug money and extorted bail bondsmen.

"…Delta casino officials say getting the robberies under control is vital to keeping the region's 12 million visitors a year coming back…"

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