Posted on: August 30, 2022, 06:11h.
Last updated on: August 30, 2022, 06:33h.
A man who was previously permanently banned from visiting any Nevada casino was arrested Monday. He was at the Paris Las Vegas casino before fleeing from security guards and local cops.
The suspect was later apprehended in front of the Bellagio fountains by Metro cops. Police identified him as Tasia McDonald Musa, 40, who is believed to reside in Las Vegas and originally lived in South Africa.
His name appears in the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s (NGCB) Black Book. It is a list of people banned from the state’s gaming properties.
On Monday night, Musa was recognized by Paris Las Vegas guards as being listed in the Black Book. The guards tried to stop him. But he fled from the Las Vegas gaming complex.
LVMPD patrol officers soon saw him crossing a nearby street. The officers ran after him.
He was stopped in front of the iconic Bellagio fountains. At about midnight Monday, Musa was booked for a gaming violation: unlawful entry by a person who has been placed on the List of Excluded Persons.
It is considered a gross misdemeanor and could result in him receiving a jail sentence of up to six months.
Seven Convictions, 19 Arrests
Musa’s name was placed in the Black Book in 2015. Musa previously was convicted seven times and had 19 additional arrests for crimes like grand larceny or attempted grand larceny at casinos.
He served prison sentences for the convictions. The incidents ranged between 2006 and 2013.
In making its case for banning him, Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) officials said Musa “is a person whose presence in licensed gaming establishments would pose a threat to the interests of this state or to licensed gaming, or both.”
They noted he was “convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude” and “Musa seems to be incapable of staying out of trouble in Nevada casinos.”
In a statement on Tuesday, James Taylor, chief of the NGCB’s Enforcement Division, thanked security guards at the Paris Las Vegas and LVMPD officers for their efforts in the incident.
Convicted Sex Trafficker New to Black Book
The Nevada legislature approved the List of Excluded Persons in 1967. Last week, the NGC approved adding the latest person to the Black Book.
He is Kendrick Laronte Weatherspoon, 44. He is a reputed pimp with a history of violence against women and sex trafficking. He has been thrown out of at least five Las Vegas casinos for his activities.
Since 2000, Weatherspoon faced 30 cases in Las Vegas Justice Court. Charges include drug dealing, impaired driving, burglary, domestic battery, sex trafficking of an adult, battery by strangulation, sexual assault, kidnapping, and accepting the proceeds of prostitution.
Feds Prioritize Sex Trafficking Enforcement
While many las Vegas sex trafficking cases are handled in state courts, last week Nevada’s new US Attorney, Jason Frierson, announced combating sex trafficking is on the front burner for the feds.
He listed it as the priority for local federal law enforcement officials, as troubling incidents continue to be seen on or near the Las Vegas Strip.
That could lead to more arrests for trafficking and related federal counts, Frierson suggested, when meeting with local media on Wednesday.
