The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Oakley arrested in Las Vegas after allegedly cheating at casino
Charles Oakley is back in trouble with the law.
The Knicks legend was arrested at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Sunday after allegedly attempting to pocket a bet he made after realizing he was going to lose, the Nevada Gaming Control Board confirmed to the New York Daily News.
Though it’s unclear what game he was playing, the incident was recorded on video, according to TMZ, which first published news of the arrest Thursday morning.
In a statement provided to the Daily News, the Nevada Gaming Board said Oakley “was suspected of adding to or reducing his wager on a gambling game after the outcome was known.” A source told TMZ that Oakley tried to remove a $100 chip from a wager before being confronted. A security team subsequently reviewed video footage and determined he allegedly cheated, according to the report.
Oakley, 54, was taken into custody at 5:30 p.m. and booked at the Clark County Detention Center without incident. He reportedly faces one to six years in prison if convicted of the charge of committing or attempting to commit a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment.
“This is an insignificant matter that will be quickly resolved,” a source close to Oakley told TMZ.
Oakley, who is the head coach of the Killer 3s basketball team in rapper Ice Cube’s BIG3 league, was on the sidelines at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., two days before the incident.
The arrest comes nearly a year and a half after Oakley’s ugly ejection from a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden that rekindled his feud with team owner James Dolan. Oakley has accused Dolan of having Garden security order his removal from the arena minutes after he sat down, which led to a melee and ultimately Oakley’s arrest and assault charge. The charge was dropped in August as part of a deal requiring he stay out of trouble for six months and away from the Garden for one year.
Attorney Alex Spiro, who represented Oakley following the Garden scuffle, declined comment when reached by the Daily News on Thursday.
After Oakley’s arrest on Feb. 8, 2017, Dolan suggested the former All-Star had a drinking problem. Oakley responded in September by suing Dolan and MSG for defamation and discrimination, seeking unspecified damages.
In 2011, Oakley sued the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas claiming he was attacked in a “gang-style beat down” by security guards in May 2010. The case was settled in 2014.
WARRIORS SIGN JEREBKO
Free agent forward Jonas Jerebko has signed with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors plan to formally introduce Jerebko on Monday.
A native of Sweden, Jerebko has played nine NBA seasons with Utah, Boston and Detroit. In 32 postseason games — four starts — for the Jazz and Celtics, he has averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds.
THUNDER RE-SIGN FELTON
The Oklahoma City Thunder have re-signed guard Raymond Felton.
Felton appeared in all 82 games last season and averaged 6.9 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds as Russell Westbrook's backup.
Felton has appeared in 938 career games, with averages of 11.4 points, 5.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds. The 13-year NBA veteran ranks eighth among all active players with 5,044 assists. Felton was selected fifth overall by Charlotte in the 2005 NBA Draft and was later named to the All-Rookie Second Team.