Men plead not guilty in alleged card marking scheme at North County casinos

Two men accused of cheating at poker at a pair of San Diego County casinos pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit a crime.

Vaagn Galustyan, 52, and Armin Martirosyan, 53, allegedly won more than $30,000 at Pala Casino in Pala and Harrah’s Casino in Valley Center by marking certain high-value cards they held at poker tables, which would alert co-conspirators as to which cards the dealers might hold.

Galustyan and Martirosyan each face up to three years and eight months in state prison if convicted.

According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the defendants entered the casinos separately, but sat together at the tables to carry out the scheme.

Prosecutors said the men were captured multiple times on casino surveillance cameras surreptitiously bending the corners of their cards. According to the D.A.’s Office, the defendants and an unidentified third co-conspirator won $19,250 from Pala Casino and $13,410 from Harrah’s.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement, “This method of cheating at cards goes back hundreds of years but with modern technology, the practice can be detected and those who would scam local casinos can be brought to justice.”