Good thing they caught these guys!
Would-be Fossilman robbers apprehended.
Men wanted in Las Vegas are arrested here
Poker champ says 2 tried to rob him
UNION-TRIBUNE
May 2, 2005
DEL MAR – A tipster sent authorities to a gun show yesterday where they arrested two men wanted in Las Vegas for allegedly trying to rob a world champion poker player.
The two are accused of holding up gambler Greg "Fossilman" Raymer outside his Bellagio hotel room Dec. 20, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Yesterday, shortly before 2 p.m., sheriff's deputies got an anonymous call saying the suspects were at the Del Mar Fairgrounds selling toy helicopters at a gun show.
Sheriff's Cpl. Dan Murtaugh said he found Kevin R. Joy, 35, and Deem Cassim, 31, at the gun show. But they him gave false names and claimed they had no identification on them. Murtaugh had already found their pictures on the Internet and quickly identified the men as suspects wanted in Nevada on attempted armed robbery charges.
They are accused of pounding on the 20th-floor hotel room next door to Raymer's on Dec. 20 when he was playing at Bellagio casino's World Poker Classic. Raymer, a patent attorney turned professional gambler, made headlines earlier in 2004 when he won $5 million in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Raymer told police he heard someone shouting outside his hotel room, and when he opened the door to check the problem, two men tried to force him back into his room.
But Raymer, who reportedly weighs 330 pounds, told authorities he refused to budge and shoved the larger of the two men – a 6-footer weighing 240 pounds – to the ground. The smaller man then pulled a gun and demanded money, Raymer told police. But when Raymer started shouting, they fled and were spotted leaving the casino in a late-model silver Nissan with Nevada plates.
The suspects were booked into Vista jail last night.