Information released on Wednesday within the "Hustler Casino Live" investigation into cheating allegations made against Robbi Jade Lew and others also included new details on several related topics, from the enhanced security measures being put into place by HCL to a mention of one of the side stories to emerge from the situation, involving former employee Bryan Sagbigsal.
Sagbigsal remains wanted for two counts of grand theft related to his activities during the HCL streamed games. He was already known to have stolen $15,000 from the chip stack of Lew after the September 29 streamed game, but the complaint against Sagbigsal published by HCL parent company High Stakes Poker productions reveals that the second charge against Sagbigsal involves a separate $5,000 allegedly stolen from Hustler Casino itself.
That Sagbigsal would face two grand-theft charges was known since last week, when L.A. Times beat writer Andrea Chang announced on social media that she had received that info from the L.A. County District Attorney's office. What wasn't made public, however, was that one of the two grand-theft counts seemingly did not involve Lew or her property at all, but was about this separate Sagbigsal incident.
Whatever else occurred involving Sagbigsal also take place during the general timeframe of the September 29 game that featured the notorious "J-4" hand between Lew and Garrett Adelstein. Beyond that, though, the limited disclosure within the complaint against Sagbigsal offers little other information, other than that with a value of over $950, it qualifies as a grand-theft matter under California law:
COUNT 2
On or about September 29, 2022, in the County of LOS ANGELES, the crime of GRAND THEFT, in violation of PENAL CODE SECTION 487(a), a Felony, was committed by BRYAN SAGBIGSAL, who did unlawfully steal, take, carry, lead, and drive away the personal property of HUSTLER CASINO, specifically, $5,000, which had a value exceeding nine hundred fifty dollars ($950).
The description differs from that of Count 1, which specifically mentions both Lew and "poker chips" in the amount of $15,000 as it describes the cause for the charge and arrest warrant. In Count 2, it's just money. How Sagbigsal came to be in possession of $5,000 of the casino's funds remains unexplained at this point, however, as does the manner in which this second theft was discovered, though Hustler Casino's security conducted the security-camera footage review that also revealed Sagbigsal's theft from Lew.
Yesterday's press release and full report from HCL and HSPP details the circumstances surrounding Sagbigsal's theft of chips from Lew, to which he later confessed and was fired, but has no other mention of this second, $5,000-value theft for which the casino itself is the alleged victim. (PokerOrg notes that all such legal complaints against Sagbigsal remain allegations only, and he is assumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.) While it's not unusual for casino properties to remain close-mouthed about crimes in which they have been victimized, yesterday's disclosure adds an unexpected wrinkle to the Sagbigsal part of this saga.
Featured image source: Hustler Casino Live
