Encore baccarat dealer, two pals charged with using bathroom breaks in plot to cheat casino

An Encore casino dealer and two other men face state charges for an alleged scheme in which they managed to bilk the house of $23,500 over two nights, the state Attorney General's office reports.

In an unrelated incident, two MetroWest men who got into a fight with a third man that ended with that man stabbed also face charges, the AG's office say.

Charged with cheating at the high-stakes baccarat tables were Jianming Li, 53, a Delaware resident who had been working at the casino, Jun Zhang, 41, of New York, and De Lin, 46, of Philadelphia.

Authorities allege that Li, an Encore Boston Harbor casino dealer, colluded with Zhang, a former Maryland casino dealer, and Lin in a cheating scheme in the game of Baccarat that netted them a total of $23,500 over two nights. It is alleged that while he was dealing the cards, Li exposed a series of playing cards, memorized them, marked them with a ‘bookmark’ card, then used his cell phone to communicate the cards and their order to Zhang, when both excused themselves to use separate bathrooms.

Li and Zhang were charged by a Middlesex County grand jury with two counts of cheating under the gaming act and conspiracy and one count of larceny by a single scheme. Li was also charged with making a false statement to the gaming commission.

Lin was charged with one count of cheating under the gaming act and one count of conspiracy.

In the stabbing incident, David Guante, 30, of Natick, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon while James Johnson, 30, of Framingham, was charged with assault and battery.

According to an investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at Encore Boston Harbor, Guante and Johnson became involved in a dispute with another casino patron by the casino cashier. This dispute resulted in Johnson striking the alleged victim in the face. Guante and the victim, then engaged in a fight, during which Guante allegedly stabbed the victim once in his abdomen.

All five men will be arraigned at a later date.